


Kiss Me

by witchy_alien



Series: Kiss Me [1]
Category: Free!
Genre: Boys Kissing, Boys being cuties, M/M, drabbles that all connect, now has plot so thats a thing now
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-03
Updated: 2015-12-19
Packaged: 2018-02-23 23:04:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 50
Words: 34,370
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2559038
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/witchy_alien/pseuds/witchy_alien
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rin and Nitori discover a hobby.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Study

It all started after a night of studying. Nitori still couldn't grasp most of his English homework, so Rin decided to help him. The two sat on the floor together, books around them, as Nitori repeated the words Rin spoke. Frustrated, Nitori rubbed his head and lied back onto the carpet.

"I'm never going to understand!" He was on the verge of tears. He was tired.

Rin sat on his knees, "Hey, come on, man. You're not that bad at it." He set down the textbook.

Nitori sat back up only to meet Rin's face. His mouth was open, but his throat was suddenly too dry to respond. They stared at each other for much longer than needed. Before Nitori could get up Rin leaned in and kissed him. It was quick and sent warmth around both of their bodies, the warmth of happiness. Nitori leaned into the kiss and smiled. The older boy was the first to pull away.

Rin stood up and walked to his lower bunk, "It's getting late," he whispered.

The grey haired boy laughed to himself as he saw Rin's red face from blushing right before he had the chance to conceal it. He gathered his books and notes and haphazardly tossed them onto his desk before lying down in his top bunk.

Neither one could sleep that night.


	2. Oh

The second kiss was after practice. What a stereotypical scene to be played out. Both were fully clothed as the younger boy approached. His hair was still damp and the smell of chlorine was in the air. Nitori took a deep breath in and stepped forward toward the older red head.

"You wanna go back together?" He chanced a smiled. Besides that kiss meant nothing before, right?

Rin turned away and dug through his locker, pulling out various items and throwing them into his bag. He didn't respond.

"I guess," Nitori begun, "I'll go now." He stared down at the tiled floor. Hiding his blushing face, he really wished for his roommate to say yes. But to his dismay, that wasn't the case. His eye followed the tiled floor until he reached the toes of his friend. Friend. That's all they were.

"You eat yet?" Rin asked.

Nitori still focused on his toes, "No."

"Fast food," Rin mumbled to himself. He held his bag on his shoulder, but refused to look the other boy in the eye.

Nitori nodded, and followed him out the door. The two walked in silence to McDonald's. Nitori rushed to keep up with Rin's long legs. When they were in line it turned out they wanted the same meal, the quarter pounder. Rin offered to pay and Nitori immediately wondered if this was a date or just between friends.

The dinner wasn't awkward. They talked about classes, family, and friends. Nitori thanked him for paying and promised to pay for something else. And Rin let him know it was okay. The pair sat in the chain food restaurant for a while. Nitori was the first to check the time, jumping at his watch.

"I have a test in the morning," The younger boy said.

Rin checked the time on his phone, "So do I." He was the first to get up.

The two walked back to their dorm together. They had to sneak back into their room, considering how late it was, but they made it.

Nitori giggled once Rin was opening their door, "That was fun." He followed Rin into the room.

Once into the room, Rin turned and looked down at Nitori. The younger boy smiled back up at him, his eyelashes seemed so long fluttering, seducing. Nitori's quietly gasped as he knew what was to come. He leaned up into the kiss that the older boy was surprised into receiving. He felt Rin smile into the kiss as it deepened. And they stood in the doorway for a moment before staring back into each other's eyes.

And they stared.

And stared.

"Shower?" Nitori was the first to ask, quickly turning his head down.

"Okay," Rin nodded, his eyes followed the smaller boy into the bathroom. Leaving him sighing to himself.


	3. Smoke

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> warning: mentioned drug use

The third kiss wasn't on the lips, but it felt just as warm as the ones before it.

Nitori's phone buzzed underneath papers and his notebook. He pushed everything aside and without checking who was calling, he answered. Rin was on the other line.

"Hey," Nitori heard a slur in the other boy's voice. He continued to listen, "Ai-chan," Rin stretched out every syllable through a laughing fit.

The younger boy frantically tried to think of something to say but it just came out as, "What?" More screech than question.

He heard some sort of shuffling and another voice saying something which seemed to stop Rin's giggling fit. "Nitori, it's Makoto," Nitori immediately straightened in his seat, "can you come out front? Rin is kind of…" He never finished his sentence. But Nitori put on his shoes and rushed out to the front gate of the school.

The moon was already up, and curfew had already passed. Nitori knew that Rin was over at Haru's house. He just never expected him to be pretty much dragged back home by his childhood friend. Nitori met Makoto at the gate and sighed upon looking at Rin.

"Sorry," The blond gave his award winning smile, "I found him with Haru and Nagisa and I think they've," he paused. "I think they've been smoking."

Smoking?

Nitori looked up at Rin who in return lazily rubbed his eyes with the sleeve of his sweater. The red head smiled and hugged the talled boy next to him.

"Mako-chan, you're so warm," He whined.

Makoto blushed and pushed him away gently. Nitori got the message that the older boy had been dealing with this the whole way over. He looked around before placing his ID card to open the door.

Rin stumbled forward, reaching out for the younger boy. He slowly wrapped his arms around the shorter boy, and Nitori smelled the illegal substance that radiated off of his roommate.

"Thank you," He made an attempt to bow to Makoto. But the other boy was too busy covering up his own laugh while thanking him in return.

The two walked back to their dorm. Nitori kept having to shush Rin from his laughing fits.

They almost made it to their room before Mikoshiba approached, apparently leaving for a snack break considering his wallet in hand. "What are you two doing out so late?"

They both stared blankly until Rin spoke, "Just taking a walk."

And he almost sounded believable. Almost. If Rin had only left it at that without the persistent laughing, but he did not. Rin covered his mouth trying to hide his case of the giggles. While Nitori silently thought of ways to strangle the older boy for bringing attention to his current state.

Nitori died a little inside as he watched Seijuro take a once over Rin, then a twice over. He placed his hand to his chin and leaned in a bit, obviously investigating the intoxicated red head. Even in dimmed lighting one could still be able to see the red, glazed over look on Rin's face. And how he now had seemed to space out a bit, nodding off to sleep even while standing.

The boy was gone.

But Seijuro just grinned and nodded as he walked on by. Nitori learned how to breathe again.

He opened up their door and let Rin in first. The older boy fell onto his bed and started another fit of laughter. Nitori locked up and took off his shoes and set down his phone onto the desk. When he turned around he was greeted with Rin's outstretched hands.

"What do you want?" Nitori was tired and kind of fed up with the whole situation. It would be laughable in the morning, but currently it was just stressful. Rin had apparently gotten high with Haru and Nagisa and had been a total annoyance the entire time. Makoto had probably been the one to find and or take care of everyone. Or maybe just RIn. Had he ever even done this before?

Rin pouted and grabbed the air, "C'mere."

Nitori had to oblige. Rin was just too cute. He only meant to sit on the bed not be held in Rin's arms, though. Rin pulled him down and they now lied side by side. Nitori took in the warmth of the older boy's arms around him. He felt wrong snuggling up to him. But he did it anyway.

After a moment of silence Nitori sat up. "I should go to bed," He stuttered out his lame excuse. He was starting to feel things he shouldn't. Rin wouldn't want him to feel like this. He didn't want to feel like this. It was warm.

Rin slowly followed, sitting up, he nuzzled his head against Nitori's chest. He ran his fingers underneath the cloth of the younger boy's clothing, feeling the skin underneath. Nitori let him lift up his shirt.

This is wrong, Nitori passively thought. But he allowed it.

The red head traced his fingers around Nitori's belly button and made his way up to his chest. He stopped on his heartbeat. He felt it race against his fingers. Rin lifted up Nitori's shirt to expose his chest and kissed right on over his heart.

The third kiss wasn't on the lips, but it felt just as warm as the ones before it.

Nitori pushed his hands onto Rin's shoulders, pushing him away from his exposed skin. Rin looked up at the younger boy, who blushed at his touch.

Nitori got up, letting his shirt fall back into place, and put his shoes back on. "I'll get you a drink," He mumbled out before leaving.

Rin took notice that he forgot his wallet. He smiled to himself before lying back down and letting sleep take over.

The following day at practice Seijuro properly punished not only Rin but Nitori as well. That grin he had left with him was one of evil plotting. He worked them both to exhaustion.

But it was worth it for that warm feeling Nitori got when he thought about Rin's lips brushing against his chest.

Rin caught a glimpse of Nitori holding his hand over his chest and smiled. His fuzzy memory remembering the way his fingers felt over his soft skin. It was such a good, warm feeling.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Haru is just the stoner everyone loves. And of course Rin and Nagisa would join him. It's my headcannon.


	4. Beauty

The fourth kiss was in the morning.

Rin was the first to wake up as usual. He went for a morning jog, and when he got back he saw the ball of sheets that was Nitori still in the top bunk. He sighed and looked at the time. There was still enough time before class so he decided not to wake the younger boy and instead took a shower.

He stood under the water thinking about nothing in particular. And that nothing soon became something. Past events slowly crept up on him. He blushed, splashing his face with the warm water, trying to forget his roommate's face.

And those lips, so soft and sweet. He tried to forget the way they turned upward into such an endearing smile. His emotions were always so genuine.

No, Rin shook away all the thoughts about Nitori.

He got out of the shower and dried himself off. He wasn't going to think about kissing Nitori. Not today.

When he looked back up at the top bunk, Nitori was still asleep. He was buried beneath his comforter, a soft snore could be heard.

Rin grinned as he toweled through his hair. He left the towel around his shoulders as he climbed the small ladder to the top.

He waited a moment before slowly pushing away the blankets from the grey haired boy's face.

"Hey," He softly nudged the sleeping boy. "You're going to be late," Not that he really minded. Rin was enjoying this view.

Nitori looked so calm, instead of stressed. Sleep did the boy wonders. And he couldn't help but stare at the younger boy's beauty mark. Though Nitori would call it a mole and frown at it, Rin always thought it was cute.

"Ai," He tried again. This time getting a groan in response.

Nitori stirred awake, his eyelashes fluttering open. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes and his gaze fell onto Rin's lips.

"Rise and shine," Rin smiled down at the groggy boy.

Nitori closed his eyes in return and pulled the covers back over his face. He may have mumbled something about five more minutes, but Rin was having none of that.

Rin pulled the covers completely off of him, "Get up."

The small boy curled into a ball, shivering. He still didn't open his eyes. He was tired and didn't want to go to class. Why didn't Rin understand that, Nitori thought.

Rin leaned his face in closer, "Wake up," He was doing this more for the reaction. Nitori was so cute, trying to shield his eyes from the light. Rin ran his fingers across Nitori's forehead. Tracing the uneven edges of his hair, then dipping down his nose.

He couldn't help but smile, the familiar feeling formed in his stomach. Rin took a deep breath in as he traced the bone structure of the smaller boy. His cheekbones only slightly protruded through his skin. He ran his thumb over Nitori's mouth, getting the boy to smile.

Nitori still hadn't opened his eyes.

Rin ducked down and kissed his beauty mark right below his eye. He pulled away just as fast as he had done it.

Nitori immediately sat up, his hand over his cheek. He looked to Rin, wide eyed, but Rin just smiled back at him.

"You're going to be late," The readhead said with a shit-eating grin. Nitori watched in awe as Rin went back to his morning routines.

The fourth kiss was in the morning, and it was such a surprise. But it didn't stop Nitori from looking in the mirror at his beauty mark.

It was beautiful.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was raised calling moles beauty marks. I like moles, freckles, weird scars.


	5. Horror

The fifth kiss was all Nitori's fault.

Nitori jumped and covered his face with the blanket in his lap. Rin eyed the boy as Nitori lowered the blanket and breathed to try and calm his racing heart.

Even though Nitori was the one who kept screaming and jumping, he was the one who wanted to watch this movie. Rin found the movie weird and kind of boring, and caught himself dozing off through the beginning.

The roommates had decided earlier in the night that they should watch a movie. Neither one had anything to do the following day or that night. Rin let Nitori pick out the film merely out of curiosity for the younger boy's interests. He found himself staring at a foreign DVD of a man tied up in blood.

Nitori explained it was a horror-comedy that he had seen before. Then why was he so scared?

Rin, wanting to set up a darker mood, decided to use Nitori's bed sheets to darken the small space of the bottom bunk. The two now sat on the bottom bunk, with the lights out and completely encased in darkness. They had a bag of chips, microwave popcorn, and all the candies they could pick up at the convenience store around them. Only the light of the movie allowed Rin to get a view of Nitori's face.

Now, with the more gory parts, Nitori covered his eyes.

"Oi!" Nitori jumped at Rin's voice, "You wanted to see this," He reminded.

Nitori reached for a chocolate bar and took a bite out of it. He looked back up to the screen and took another breath in. The light from the laptop made his face glow in the darkness. His skin wasn't a sickly pale, but it was so fair that it made Rin want to treat him delicately.

"Are you even paying attention?" Nitori asked without looking away from the screen.

Rin wasn't. He had been so focused on Nitori's reactions. And he fell asleep for a few minutes. Rin had no idea except for key words. "Yeah, yeah," He waved his hand, "Bank, elevator, murder."

Nitori seemed pleased with his answer. He fiddled with his fingers and Rin wanted to ask if he was paying attention to the film. Rin had caught Nitori's eyes wandering over him as he tried to watch the people and subtitles, even though he knew most of what they were saying.

Rin had been watching Nitori as well. He let his eyes do a once over, then a twice over of Nitori before they even got into the bed to watch the movie. Nitori had a fashion statement to make apparently. And that was short shorts. So Rin threw his blanket over him as an excuse of it was getting cold.

"Rin?" Nitori almost whispered. There was strange music playing through the speakers, but Rin had no idea what was going on.

He kept thinking of those shorts under the covers.

"Are you," Nitori crumpled the chocolate bar wrapper in his hands, "Are you cold?"

Before Nitori had even said it Rin noticed his slight shiver. It was getting colder in the room, and he knew the window was open letting a breeze in and the air conditioning was on.

Rin could only nod in return, hoping the light from the computer reached his face. It must have, or Nitori had planned to share the blanket with him.

The boys sat in silence, suddenly staring very intently at the movie. It was an alright movie, Rin thought to himself. He felt the warmth of Nitori's small body radiating next to him.

Both of them jumped at a small scare and turned to each other. They stared into each other's eyes, trying to see as much as they could in the flickering light of the screen. It wasn't much.

Nitori's breath was heavy, still frightened by the film. Rin wrapped his arms tighter around his body. They both could feel the warmth of the other under the small blanket.

The fifth kiss was all Nitori's fault.

He wanted to watch this film. He wanted to turn out the lights. He wanted to share the blanket with Rin. It was his entire fault.

Nitori's grip tightened on the back of Rin's shirt as he deepened the kiss. He felt Rin open his mouth and allowed his tongue in. Both boys clung to each other desperately in an attempt to get as close as possible.

Rin pulled away first. He looked down at Nitori's closed eyes , and moved up to kiss his forehead. He moved his lips down from the center of Nitori's forehead to the bridge of his nose. He moved up and down his cheekbones, and moved along his jaw. He left kisses on every visible spot on Nitori's face before moving back to his lips.

He felt Nitori smile against his lips.

Rin pulled away slightly, his lips still brushing against Nitori's, "You paying attention?"

Nitori pulled back to look into Rin's eyes. Rin leaned his forehead against Nitori's, "Bank, elevator, muder," He teased.

Rin smiled before pulling him back into another kiss.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The movie is botched.


	6. Out

It was a long night full of tears and sugary drinks. The sixth kiss was slow and sweet.

Rin stood up from his bed, stretching. Nitori's eyes followed his roommate's movements and muscles. Rin yawned and ruffled his own hair.

It was almost midnight, but neither one had gone to bed. Nitori was surrounded with books at his desk and Rin was in his bed with a textbook in headphones in. That was before Rin decided to take a break.

Nitori stretched to get a better view of Rin. It was obvious, but it was so late that he didn't care anymore. He just wanted to understand his math homework and be done with the night.

The redhead looked down at him sympathetically, "Take a break."

Nitori stood up and yawned, following Rin out the door. The two idly walked to the vending machines. Nitori feeling like he could pass out in the dark hallway just making the short walk. He reached out to grab Rin's muscle shirt. Rin didn't seem to mind.

When they finally reached the vending machine Nitori sat down. He yawned and stretched on the bench. Rin called out to him before throwing a drink at him.

"Never be a bartender," Nitori mumbled.

"Ha-ha, very funny," Rin said with a grin.

He took a seat next to Nitori. The younger boy suddenly regretted not going to bed. He distracted himself with the drink in hand. He took a few sips before chancing a glance at Rin.

Rin stared straight ahead at the brightly lit machine. In their silence he felt Nitori's intense stare and finally decided to turn his head to him. Nitori took a small breath in and turned away. He felt Rin's fingers graze his wrist, sliding down to his fingers. His hand was much bigger than Nitori's, wrapping his fingers to cover the smaller boys'.

"I'm tired," Nitori managed out. His mind was focused on the warm hand that was wrapped around his.

Rin's grip tightened, but he did not speak.

Nitori turned back to Rin, "What are we?" His eyes widened, surprised by what he just said. He looked like he was about to correct himself but Rin spoke up.

"We kiss," Was all he said.

Nitori pouted. He knew they kissed. He felt unwanted tears swell up in the corners of his eyes.

Rin still looked straight ahead, "I like kissing you."

"Yeah," Nitori whispered. He liked kissing Rin too. "But…" He knew there had to be a catch.

Rin finally looked at him, and at first Nitori thought it was the bad lighting. But Rin was starting to cry. His hand was firm against him, but Rin's face scrunched up. He shivered as tears fell.

"That's all this is." Rin asked Nitori, and there was worry in his statement.

And Nitori understood Rin's emotions. It was a long night. They were both tired from studies and practice. Nitori had picked up a part time job and it was tiring. Rin had helped him with his homework as best as he could. They stayed up and studied, talked, related. And he knew that Rin was just as tired as he was. He had to deal with his past, his present, his future. It was hard work, keeping up. They were both too stressed and they needed release.

Nitori only let out a small sob before wrapping his delicate arms around Rin. Who, in return, nestled into him. They sat like that for a while. Nitori listened to Rin cry. He knew that on top of his life activities he didn't have time to figure out his sexuality. Nitori had always known, and it just occurred to him that Rin might have been just figuring it out.

Rin's arms wrapped around the smaller boy. His sobs getting softer, and Nitori feared he would be used as a snot rag.

Rin looked up at him, through tears, "Sorry," he sniffled.

Nitori lifted Rin's chin up, "Hey, I'm fine with kissing."

He lied.

But Rin smiled up at him, and it was such an honest smile that it made Nitori grin. Rin pulled him closer, and pulled him into a kiss.

The sixth kiss was slow and sweet.

Nitori was the first to initiate a deeper kiss. He led his tongue through Rin's mouth. And he felt the usual flutter in his stomach that he usually got when he kissed the older boy. He clung onto the other boy's shirt as if it was the only thing that mattered. And in that moment it was.

Illuminated by the glow of the vending machine, they weren't able to get a perfect view of each other. But Nitori could see Rin's tear stained face. He pulled him back into the kiss.

Rin smiled and pulled away, "I'm fine with kissing too."


	7. Laundry

The seventh kiss was sweet.

Rin groaned, stretching his arms above his head, "Ten more minutes."

Nitori sighed and took a seat in one of the beat up chairs in front of the washing machine. The roommates decided to do laundry so they would have clothes ready for after their run. They had almost planned it accordingly, but the drying process had taken much longer than expected. Nitori always hated doing laundry, but now it was on his top list of evil mediocre things needed to exist.

He was tired, sweaty, and all he had to entertain him was an equally sweaty Rin and a magazine dated back three years ago. Nitori decided it would be best to focus on the magazine. It was full of cars and movie reviews.

Rin sat on the dryer next to their clothes, setting the basket next to him. He watched Nitori read over the magazine. His gaze dropping from Nitori's face to his hands as they turned each page. Rin picked up the laundry basket and put it on his head. He was not about to think of the younger boy in that way. The way that he always seemed to think of, needy and sweet. He always pictured his hands tracing over his face.

But not today. No, today he had a basket on his face to protect him.

The two sat in silence. Nitori never looked up from the magazine. And Rin didn't take his eyes off of Nitori.

Finally, Rin glanced at the timer on the dryer. He let out a deep sigh, three more minutes were left.

Nitori looked up in curiosity, but quickly looked back down. He held the magazine close to his face, it shook in his hands.

"What the," Rin looked at the other boy apprehensively.

Nitori couldn't hold it in anymore, and let out a boisterous laugh. He dropped the magazine to clutch onto his stomach, hunching over.

Rin lifted the basket from his head, "What's so funny?" He was genuinely confused of the entire situation.

The grey-haired boy stood and walked over to him, "You are." He placed his hands on either side of Rin, still laughing as he looked up at him.

"I am?" Rin leaned down.

Nitori met him halfway and mumbled, "Yeah," on his lips.

The seventh kiss was sweet, and quick.

The buzzing of the drying machine went off almost as soon as their lips touched. They pulled apart and Rin smiled down at Nitori. Nitori smiled back and let out a small chuckle. Rin followed his actions and began laughing himself.

It wasn't long before the two boys were in a laughing fit. Rin, still sitting on the machine, and Nitori standing in between his legs. The two couldn't help the bubbly laughter that jostled through them. It was innocent and oh, so sweet.


	8. Frustration

The eighth kiss was in the morning.

Rin woke to Nitori digging through his desk and running back and forth in the room. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes, and stared tiredly at Nitori. He thought about lying back down, his alarm wasn't scheduled to go off for another hour. But Nitori was too loud and way too distracting.

"Aiichiro," Rin snarled.

Nitori immediately froze, hovering over the desk, papers in hand. "Sorry, Senpai," He turned to face Rin so fast he almost lost his balance.

Rin pushed his hair out of his face, "What are you looking for?"

The grey haired boy turned back and set down the papers. "Um, stationary." He continued digging, haphazardly tossing aside various papers and books. "The nice one I had it up here. I j-just," He pushed most of the junk from his desk onto the floor.

Silence washed over the two boys from the unexpected action. Rin suddenly felt very awake. He watched Nitori's back straighten as he took a deep breath in.

"I'm so sorry for disturbing you," Nitori's voice came out strained.

Rin stood up and stretched. He walked over to his desk and opened up the drawer, grabbing his stationary. "Here," He held it out in front of Nitori.

Teary eyed, Nitori reached out to grab the paper.

"What's," Rin still held onto the stationary, "What's the matter?"

Nitori froze again, fighting more tears away. Rin let him take his time.

"My mom," Nitori let out, "she's not feeling well."

Rin finally released his grip from the stationary, but reached out to wrap his arms around Nitori. The younger boy let out a sob against his chest. Running his fingers down Nitori's back, Rin soothingly shushed him.

"She l-likes letters," Nitori looked up at Rin with wide, anxious eyes. "I figured she would get better faster if she could read how much I love her."

Rin brushed back Nitori's bangs, "She'll love that," he reassured.

"Yeah, yeah," Nitori whispered. He pushed away from Rin and turned back to his desk.

Rin grabbed his arm and gently pulled him back. He removed the stationary from the smaller boy's grip, and placed it onto the desk. He grabbed Nitori's hand and walked him back to his bed. They sat down, Nitori still shaking from crying.

"Calm down first. C'mon," Rin lifted Nitori's face, "breathe with me."

Nitori followed Rin's breathing for almost five minutes before finally calming down.

"You okay now?" Rin ran his thumb over Nitori's tear stained cheek.

Nitori shook his head and turned away from Rin.

They sat in silence, the sun barely started to rise. Its beams gently making their way into the small dorm room. It brought more attention to the mess on the floor.

Rin wondered how long Nitori had been up. Maybe he hadn't even fallen asleep.

Nitori's gaze went down to the papers thrown askew on the floor, "She's really sick." His voice was quiet.

"Maybe you could visit her," Rin didn't try to brighten his voice, "I'm sure the school will-"

"No," Nitori suddenly raised his voice. His cheeks turned pink when he realized he shouted, "I mean, she told me not to worry."

Rin only nodded. Nitori was stubborn.

"She has cancer."

Nitori's voice sounded so distant and unattached. "She's had it for a year now." Rin watched Nitori's eyes as they super focused on one of the books on the floor. "It's in her brain now, that's what dad told me."

Rin pulled Nitori back into a hug.

"You should take off and see her, Ai."

"Rin," Nitori didn't bother with honorifics, "I'm really scared."

Rin only nodded in return and held onto the boy tighter. They sat in a comfortable silence.

They pulled apart and Rin looked down at Nitori. His eyes were red from crying, and he kept sniffling. He had deep bags under his eyes. Rin leaned down and kissed his nose. Then he kissed either cheek, and then moved back up to Nitori's forehead and kissed him. Rin held Nitori's face in his palms as they looked into each other's eyes. Nitori let Rin take the lead. Rin pushed their lips together.

Their first kiss was in the morning.

The sun was still rising, and the room remained silent. Nitori was still crying when Rin pulled him back into another hug. They sat like that until Rin's alarm went off.

"Call home, tell them you want to be with her." Rin kissed his forehead gently.

Nitori nodded before going to his phone.


	9. Home

The ninth kiss was simple.

Rin waited, impatiently, at the school gate. He paced back and forth, checking his phone for the time and the occasional message. He smiled down responding to emails from Nagisa and Makoto. It eased his nerves a bit to talk to old friends.

Nitori had been back at home for a week now. And in that time Rin went on his own personal journey of self discovery. Meaning he ended up sitting down with the four from Iwatobi and talked about his secret kisses with Aiichiro. He couldn't help the smile that he got when talking about them. It was a normal habit, smiling while embarrassed. And the entire conversation was really embarrassing. But talking to his old friends and Rei made him feel okay. Then he able to clear his head. Haruka and Makoto were surprisingly approving of his blossoming relationship with the younger boy. Nagisa was way too excited for his own good. Anyone's good really. And Rei sent him articles and book recommendations on everything romance and gender and sexuality related. Rin humored him by reading through a few. And found himself distracted by it all. He fell into a quick routine within the week. It was school, swim, friends, homework (school assigned and Rei assigned), sleep.

But he still missed Nitori.

Rin looked up to the crescent shaped moon. The sky was as he watched the few stars visible. He stuck his hands in his jacket pockets, and let out a sigh. It was almost midnight and he was tired, and worried, and missing his roomate/kissing buddy/ friend.

Whatever they were he missed it.

He felt his phone vibrate in his palm and lifted it up in front of him, still looking towards the sky. It was another dumb message that made him smile up at it.

"Are you taking a selfie?" A voice interrupted that made him almost drop his phone on his face.

Rin looked down and saw Nitori, with his suitcase following close behind. The younger boy was smiling up at him, pale cheeks rosy.

Nitori walked closer, the wheels of his luggage being the only sound around them.

"Not going to welcome me back?" His smile widened.

And Rin blushed, visibly, undeniably blushed. Because Nitori had shit to say and he didn't. He had somehow pushed all the things he wanted to say away. So here he was. With nothing, absolutely nothing to say.

Nitori closes his eyes and (Rin swears to God) puckers his lips.

So Rin kisses him. A simple kiss on the lips.

And when he pulls away to look back at Nitori, he is blushing. Nitori covers his face in embarrassment.

"Why are you being so shy now?" Rin laughs.

"I'm so sorry, Senpai," Nitori says between laughs, "I was really excited to see you."

It takes a few moments for the two to regain their composure at the school gate. The light above them flickers, reminding them of curfew.

"Me too," Rin reaches for Nitori's luggage. And when he is given a confused face as a response he says, "Missed you. I missed you."


	10. Kiss You

Rin opened the door, unwillingly faced with Nitori yet again.

The tenth kiss was indescribable.

Rin sighed as he watched his roommate's almost provocative behavior. Nitori shook hips to the same tune Rin had grown tired to. He stood in the doorway and watched Nitori make his own bed before moving down to Rin's. Rin shut the door, the music blasting too loud for Nitori to properly hear his actual surroundings.

The beat of the music sped up and Nitori swayed his hips, in those god awful shorts yet again. Why had he worn them?

Rin remembered something about Nitori saying that the shorts were special to him. He had them for years, and apparently had experienced a growth spurt within that time. Because now Rin was faced with nothing but long, slim legs. Legs that danced awkwardly, still unaware of the wondering eyes on his backside.

Nitori moved, ungracefully so, to the beat of the music. He performed his personal bedroom routine and turned around pointing to Rin as the same time the English lyrics, 'Baby be mine tonight,' rang through the air.

Rin understood the lyrics and froze, dropping his backpack onto the floor. He expected Nitori to stop, but instead was greeted with much smoother dance moves directed towards him. He felt his cheeks heat up in embarrassment, remembering translating this song for the younger boy. And right now he felt that Nitori remembered all of the lyrics.

And those legs. Nitori's legs were much longer than the rest of him, which in most cases made him awkward. But right now, as he clumsily danced for the older boy, he seemed to know what he was doing to Rin.

He moved toward Rin, wrapping his arms around him slowly. Cheeks red, he looked up and whispered, "'Let me kiss you,'" along with the lyrics.

And Rin could not resist the choppy English that rushed out of Nitori's mouth.

Rin leaned closer and kissed Nitori, getting a small gasp in return. He felt Nitori's tongue brush against his lips and opened his lips. There was a warmth that washed over his body.

The tenth kiss was indescribable.

He smiled into the kiss as it deepened. Rin ran his hands down Nitori's clothed sides. He brushed his fingers along the smaller boy's hip, delicately lifting his shirt with his index finger. He ran it over Nitori's hip bone. Nitori sighed, pushing harder onto Rin's lips.

Nitori was the first to move away. He draped his arms over Rin's shoulders. And he stood on his toes, kissing Rin's nose, before moving back away from him. He lifted his shirt over his head and tossed it on the floor.

Rin watched in awe. The smaller boy shyly displayed such bold emotions. Rin knew his mouth was hanging open, but did nothing to stop it. He watched Nitori walk farther from him. Nitori sat on the bottom bunk.

Rin's bed.

Rin felt as if he ran, and maybe he had, over to Nitori. And it wasn't long before he felt Nitori's lips against his. He only pulled apart to remove his own jacket and shirt. But he soon found himself kissing Nitori. Their tongues exploring, full of wandering hands moving up and down one another's sides. Rin brought his hand up to Nitori's chin, lifting it, and moved down. He nipped at the pale flesh that lay before him. Bruising Nitori's neck in an obvious place, receiving a soft moan rather than rejection, Rin continued. He ran his tongue down to the other boy's chest. And placed a kiss over it.

Nitori looked down at him, face flushed with lust and embarrassment.

Rin smiled, face matching in color, and moved back up to kiss his lips.

The two smiled at each other as they pulled apart.

The song had changed awhile ago. And Rin could only brush his nose against Nitori's while listening to it.

He grinned and sang along, "'What can I say? You make me feel this way...'"

"What does that mean?" Nitori asked from under Rin.

Rin responded with a kiss.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The songs are Kiss You by One Direction (because I am trash) and Bubbly by Colbie Caillat.


	11. Instagram

The eleventh kiss was embarrassing.

It was a simple kiss on the cheek, but it still made Rin's cheeks flush. Nitori leaned in, smiling and kissed the older boy's cheek. He giggled before placing his lips against the skin of his partner.

He snapped the picture.

Rin was red in the face, as he allowed Nitori to kiss his face. And not just kiss, but take a picture of the act.

Nitori smiled up at him and shyly mumbled something Rin wasn't able to catch.

Rin was staring with a great intensity at the carpeted floor. He was still embarrassed of the picture taken. He almost missed Nitori's mumbled question.

"Wait, what?" Rin asked, just to make sure he overheard the other boy correctly.

"Can I put it on my Instagram?" Nitori was smiling into his phone, already filtering the photo.

Rin stared daggers into the boy before he finally looked back up to him. Rin smiled, showing passive aggression through his shark-like teeth.

Nitori gasped, his phone slipping from his fingers and onto his lap.

"I- Um," Nitori's eyes were wide. He hadn't thought his situation all the way through. He had been too consumed with his social networking that he almost forgot that what he and Rin did was secretive. These kisses.

But...

It was just a kiss on the cheek.

He voiced this opinion. It wasn't like they were full on making out. Right?

Rin only turned a deeper shade of red. He held his hands to his face in an attempt to hide his blushing. Nitori watched as Rin sighed into his hands before dragging them over his face. In an uncomfortable silence Nitori stared intently at the older red head.

Okay, and part of that was because Nitori had a slight crush on the boy. But after kissing a few times, and showing some pretty intense emotions together, how could he not? Nitori sat on the bed next to Rin so many times, most ending in a kiss. They had made out a time or two before too. So why was Rin suddenly acting so shy about a kiss on the cheek?

Rin made eye contact with Nitori, a hand still over his mouth. His other hand reached for Nitori's phone.

"Instagram?" He looked at the photo still in the editing stage.

Nitori's face brightened, "Oh yes, Senpai! It's so fun. I usually just take pictures of food and selfies, but some friends have been asking for more pictures with friends."

"Friends," Rin repeated.

He got a nod in response.

Still holding the phone, Rin exited out of the current picture and opened the camera back up again. He held it in front of the two and leaned in. He closed his eyes and did not catch Nitori squeeze his own eyes shut as Rin kissed his cheek. Rin snapped the picture and before he could regret it he handed the phone back to its' owner.

Nitori smiled down at the picture.

The eleventh kiss was embarrassing and forever embedded into some sort of cyber history.

Rin smiled at Nitori as he posted the picture onto his profile. And it wasn't a minute after until he received a text from his childhood friends.

'OMG! So cute,' Nagisa's text read.

It wasn't long before Makoto sent him a text as well, 'Rin... do you have something you need to tell me?'

Rin didn't respond to either message and instead went into the apps store to finally check out this Instagram thing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> But imagine Rin being so behind in what's current and Nitori like taking a bunch of selfies on his instagram and snapchat and like Makoto and Nagisa telling him to take more pictures with Rin and then he takes one of them kissies. Okay? I have so many emotions right now...


	12. Morning

The twelfth kiss was in the morning.

It began in the morning, the smiles and nods. It was sweet at first, but after awhile it became incredibly frustrating. Nitori found himself nodding and smiling his goodbyes as he was always running late. He found himself digging through various papers, books, and clothes.

He was a mess.

So finally Nitori worked up the energy to wake up before Rin's alarm. He smiled, quietly climbing down the ladder and looking at a still sleeping Rin. He went through his daily morning routines to prepare for the day. He walked back into the room just before Rin's alarm.

He turned it off before Rin realized what it was.

Leaning over the sleeping boy, Nitori smiled. "Senpai," Nitori brushed his hand against Rin's cheek.

Rin scrunched his face in response, shooing away the other boy's hand.

"It's time to get up," Nitori continued. A little sleep deprived and overconfident, he bent down. He was on his knees now, face to face with the sleeping body that lay before him.

Rin stirred in his sleep, swatting away the intruding light that hit his face.

Nitori got an idea.

The twelfth kiss was in the morning, and Rin woke up to it. It was a soft kiss that Nitori placed on Rin's lips. Nitori pulled away as Rin opened his eyes in a mix of awe and surprise.

"It's time to get up," Nitori smiled down at Rin like he did not just have his lips against his.

Rin watched as Nitori turned around, a smile still on his face, and walked to his desk to organize his work for the day.

"Give me a reason," Rin was surprised by his own raspy voice.

Nitori paused over his paperwork before turning back around to face Rin. He smiled, sighing as he walked back to the bottom bunk.

He knelt back down so that he was face to face with his older classmate. The two smiled knowing what was coming. Rin was the first one to lean in, their lips seemed to match in some strange way. Nitori grabbed the back of Rin's head, pulling him closer with his fingers grasped in Rin's hair.

Rin pushed his tongue into Nitori's mouth, and the smaller boy happily accepted the intrusion. Rin's arms moved from their space under the covers and wrapped around Nitori's shoulders. The boys held onto each other as they explored each other's mouths.

They pulled apart, panting slightly. Nitori smiled, shyly saying, "Get up."

Rin looked down to his still covered form and stretched out an, "um."

Nitori softly punched his arm, "You know what I meant!"

Rin ruffled Nitori's still damp hair. He smiled at the boy, running his hand down from his hair to his cheek. He brushed his thumb along the grey-haired boy's bone structure. His index finger traced over Nitori's nose. Nitori shut his eyes as Rin continued to trace over his facial features.

"I'm up," Rin finally said.

Nitori's smile widened.

And Rin thought that there couldn't be a better way to wake up.


	13. Sick

The thirteenth kiss was to get Rin into bed.

Rin scrubbed at the ladder on the bunk bed. His brows furrowed together in irritation at the smudge apparently implanted into the metal. He growled and scrubbed harder at the dark spot. His nose twitched and ̶

"Achoo!"

Nitori spun around in his desk chair and huffed, "Alright, Senpai, that was the fifth time."

Rin continued to rub the overused rag against the dirtied ladder. "I'm fine, Ai."

Nitori left him alone, turning back around to study.

Rin let out a frustrated sigh, throwing the rag onto the floor.

Everything ached from his toes to the top of his head. His hair hurt, and he had no idea how that was possible. It hurt to breathe, to speak, to move, to eat. Rin, stubborn as ever, had tried convincing his roommate that he didn't have a cold. But his body apparently wasn't in on his lie.

Nitori peeked over his shoulder to see Rin glaring at the ladder.

"I'm not sick," Rin said, his voice nasally from congestion .

Neither one of them believed it.

"Lie down, Senpai, I'll go get the nurse." Nitori walked over to Rin, grabbing his hand to lead him to his bed.

Rin glared down at Nitori, not looking entirely threatening with rosy cheeks and watery eyes. Nitori giggled, reaching his hands up to Rin's face. He pulled Rin down and kissed his forehead. Rin felt his face heat up.

"You have a fever," Nitori said when he pulled away. He reached out his hand, "Bed, now."

Defeated, Rin allowed to be tucked in.

"Stupid swimming obsessed, mackerel loving, little..."

Nitori placed a finger over Rin's mouth, "You're sick, Senpai. You can chant your spell on whoever got you sick when you feel better."

Nitori sat on the floor next to Rin, nodding to whatever Rin muttered out of his mouth before drifting off to sleep. Finally, Rin was snoring peacefully. Nitori ran his fingers across Rin's forehead. "Why do you have to be so difficult," He whispered.

A soft smile spread across his lips as he left the room in search of the nurse.


	14. Funeral

The fourteenth kiss was when Nitori came back.

It was a long day. Nitori walked back to school by himself. He had spent over an hour trying to convince his father that he would be okay. And even though his stubborn dad tried to fight it, Nitori was now walking back to the dorms. 

He nervously pulled at the collar of his tux. It was hard to breathe. The cool air bit at his skin and gradually sunk into his bones. His mother always made hot chocolate on days like this. Nitori looked up to the sky, letting out a breath of hot air. It was cold enough to see his breath float up. He closed his eyes, letting his mind remember the warmth of the hot chocolate against his hands. He pulled his hands to his chest and hurried inside the school. 

Nitori shivered when he walked through the doors of his dorm hall. The hall wasn't heated, but still felt warm. Probably from all the bodies running through the halls. The walls weren't thin, but he could still hear the voices and laughter in various rooms as he passed. 

Approaching his room he dug through his pockets for his key. He didn't have it. Nitori cursed to himself. Instead of knocking he stood blankly in front of the door. He knew Rin was inside. He wasn't ready to go in.

It was a long day.

He wasn't okay. He should have stayed home with his dad. But he knew his dad had to be alone and away from him. Nitori knew he looked too much like his mom. Throughout the entire funeral ceremony he caught relatives he hadn't seen in years whispering about the fact he looked so much like her. 

A few times Nitori found his father's eyes smiling, proud that he took after his mother. Or at least that's what he would tell Nitori ever since he was younger. If he had stayed home, he would have just made his father cry. It wasn't easy losing the love of your life. 

Nitori couldn't imagine what that would be like. The boy he loved was right before this door. But he couldn't see him. He was scared. 

Scared of what he might do or say. 

Love is full of chances. Love is life. 

He felt like a part of his life had slipped away. 

Nitori sunk to the floor onto his knees. He tugged at his collar which was making it harder to breathe. He reached out his hand to knock at the door but stopped before even touching it. He wrapped his arms around himself. His breathing getting heavy. Tears dropped from his eyes and it wasn't long until he was sobbing. 

He missed his mom. 

Nitori let out an ugly cry, not caring that his voice echoed through the hallway. 

"Hey," Nitori jumped at the voice looming over him. Bright red sneakers stood next to him, and he watched the person drop down before recognizing them through blurry eyes. 

"Did you forget your key?" Mikoshiba rubbed his back. 

Nitori cried harder. 

Mikoshiba let Nitori cry on the floor. 

"Hard day?" He asked once Nitori's loud sobs became sniffles. 

Nitori nodded so Mikoshiba continued, "C'mon," he pulled up to stand with him. 

Mikoshiba loudly knocked on the door and Rin took his time to answer. Rin was smiling until he saw Nitori who was wiping his tears away. 

"I brought you a gift. He needs some support," Mikoshiba hinted. He didn't understand this type of loss. The type that Rin had experienced before. Only Rin could help Nitori through this. 

Rin nodded and pulled Nitori in. "How long were you out there?" Rin asked once the door was shut. He wiped his sleeve against Nitori's cheeks, getting rid of any stray tears. 

"Not," Nitori hiccuped, "long." He pushed Rin's helpful hands away from his face. 

Rin watched as the younger boy walked around him. Nitori pulled at his collar before removing his tie. It didn't seem to help. Nitori still tugged at the neck of his shirt. Rin didn't know what to do when Nitori unbuttoned his shirt and tossed it onto the floor. Nitori kicked at the shirt. He unbuckled his belt and kicked off his pants. 

He stepped on the clothes in a childish manner. Letting out a cry in frustration, Nitori kicked at the pile of clothes, hitting the bed. 

Stepping closer Rin saw that Nitori was crying again. "Sit down, Ai." 

Nitori turned to him and suddenly realized that he was now standing in his underwear. Shyly, he sat down in the bottom bunk. He cried harder and Rin sat by his side. 

"I know," Rin whispered. He didn't touch Nitori. Not while he was undressed like this. 

He knew how it felt. To want to rid the memories of the day. It was gross feeling the uncomfortable clothes against the skin while being stared at. Pitied. 

"I...," Nitori was hyperventilating. 

Rin quickly went into action. He faced Nitori holding onto his hands. He led him through slow breathing techniques. 

When Nitori calmed down Rin brought him into a tight hug. He kissed the top of his head. Rin lied down and patted the spot next to him. "You're cold," He wrapped an arm around him. 

Nitori went under the covers, feeling too exposed. The bed smelt like Rin. He didn't know what he expected as it was Rin's bed. Rin wiped away his remaining tears. And leaned down to kiss him softly on the lips. 

Smiling, Nitori pulled himself closer to Rin's warmth. 

They lied together in silence, the soft hum of Rin's music from the radio sounded more like white noise. 

"You want me to get you anything?" Rin finally asked. 

Nitori smiled into Rin's chest. He felt so warm against the redhead, "May you get hot chocolate?"

Rin kissed the top of his head, "Anything you want."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am drunk trash that doesn't read before I post.   
> But I've wanted sad Nitori because of lost family member since like chapter 2.   
> Thank you for reading. I hope you can share a hot chocolate with someone that you love and tell them that you are oh so happy you can do that with them.


	15. Night

The fifteenth kiss was warm. 

Rin had let Nitori stay in bed for a week now. He brought him all his meals, and his teachers and the swim team knew he needed a break. Rin stayed out of his way, mostly. Nitori remembered to bathe and change clothes, he could take care of himself. Rin had woken up a few times in the late hours of the night, seeing Nitori working on homework. Rin would tell him to go back to bed. And Nitori would listen. 

This was one of those nights though, where Nitori was scratching at the same section in his notes. He ripped the paper in frustration. 

"I'll never get it," Nitori rubbed his forehead. 

Rin sat up, "Of course not." Nitori turned to him looking offended, "You haven't been to class all week. Just have someone in class explain it." He laid back down. 

Nitori, determined, went back to studying. He didn't get far into the textbook until he caught something he didn't understand. He switched off the desk light. It was a long week, and Nitori knew he had to be back in school. Rin would get tired of babying him if he didn't get his act together. 

Nitori shivered. The temperature had dropped down to a low chill. Nights were the hardest, he realized squeezing his arms tightly to his body. His sweater could only warm him so much. 

Turning to Rin, who had curled back into bed, Nitori sighed. He longed to be in Rin's bed again. But he couldn't bother Rin with something like that... Could he?

"Rin-senpai?" His voice came out as a whisper. 

Rin hummed turning over to face him. 

"Can I," Nitori blushed, "can we sleep together?" 

Rin stared open-mouthed at the boy who seemed to boldly ask whatever was on his mind. Rin pulled the covers away, shivering at the cold, he patted the spot next to him. 

The bed wasn't big enough for the both of them. But Nitori was so small, he managed to fit. Rin wrapped his arm around Nitori. Nitori mindlessly played with the hem of Rin's shirt until Rin placed a hand, stopping Nitori. 

"Sorry," Nitori wrapped his arms around the older boy. His face was buried in his chest. Nitori listened to Rin's heartbeat and smiled. 

It was going just as fast as his was. 

Playfully, Nitori ran his finger along Rin's waistband. Rin's body stilled next to him. "You're so warm," Nitori whispered. 

Rin grunted. He wasn't denying the boy's touch. It felt nice to have him so close after he had been so distant. Rin held him tighter. They pulled away, looking into each other's eyes.

The fifteenth kiss was warm. 

Rin pulled the covers completely over them. He wrapped his arms around Nitori and pulled him on top. Nitori opened his mouth, accepting Rin's tongue. He moaned into Rin's touch when he touched the small of his back. It was soft, fingers grazing the exposed skin from the lifted sweater. 

They pulled away and placed their foreheads together. Rin smiled, "G'night." 

Nitori giggled, "Goodnight, Senpai."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's like 2 in the mornin and I am wide awake. But I am sad trash.


	16. Swimming

The sixteenth kiss left Nitori saying, "Wow." 

Rin had invited Nitori to go swimming with him and the Iwatobi club. Nitori hadn't been feeling too well and was okay with this. Plus it was way too cold to swim in the ocean, so Sasabe allowed them to use the swim club pool after business hours. 

The train ride was full of useless banter. Rin and Nitori both said enough to keep busy. Rin didn't question the way Nitori's fingers brushed against his. And Nitori wasn't about to stop Rin's hand from lingering on his shoulder. It was nice. 

The two got off and walked in silence along the quiet roads. Rin looked off to the side before reaching for Nitori's hand. Only letting go for brief moments when they passed by other people. But as soon as they were alone Rin would hold his hand again. It was really nice. 

Once at the building, Nitori realized Rin wasn't letting go of his hand. His nerves got the better of him, and he slipped his hand out of Rin's grasp. Rin fixed his bag on his shoulder, turning his blushing face away. 

They were greeted by a loud gasp, "Rin-chan, you brought Ai-chan!" 

Ai blushed at Nagisa's forwardness, "Please don't call me that." 

Nagisa ignored him, dragging both Rin and Ai to the pool. Rin immediately stripped and jumped in. 

Makoto walked up and said hello to Nitori, reintroducing himself and Haru who was swimming with Rin now. Rei pried Nagisa off of Nitori, pushing his glasses up he bowed apologies for the boy's behaviors. 

Nitori talked for awhile before the other boys went swimming. He pulled off his shirt and pants to sit at the edge of the pool in his suit. His eyes found Rin who was now racing Haru. Haru beat him, lifting his head up he made eye contact with Nitori. Rin grumbled something at his loss and Rin pointed to Nitori and mumbled something. Suddenly self conscious, Nitori waved, making Rin turn bright red and went back into the water. Haru smirked before following. Nitori felt his own face heat up under the attention. 

Nagisa swam up next to him, stretching his arms he smiled. "Do you like Rin?" 

Nitori jumped at his voice, "W-what?" 

"You've been staring at him for a really long time. Do you like him?" Nagisa lifted himself up to sit next to Nitori. 

Nitori nodded, feeling his face heat up yet again that day. Nagisa only smiled, which was a subdued reaction Nitori was expecting. 

"I like him," Nagisa pointed to Rei and Makoto talking at the other end of the pool. 

The way his eyes softened and the boisterous laugh Rei let out let Nitori know who who he was talking about. The two boys sat watching the others in a mutual awe. 

"Does he know?" Nitori spoke up. 

Nagisa giggled, "I hope so! He is my boyfriend." 

If Nitori was drinking something, he would have done a spit take. With wide eyes he watched the blond next to him wave at the other boys. Across the pool, Rei lost his balance when he waved back. Makoto laughed and said something Nitori couldn't hear, but it made Rei cover his face in embarrassment.

"How did that happen?" Now Nitori was genuinely curious. 

"Well," Nagisa leaned forward, watching Rei, "I told him I liked him." 

"You confessed?" Ai was suddenly feeling sick. He could never just tell Rin that he liked him. 

Nagisa nodded, "He took some time to," He straightened his back and pushed up imaginary glasses, "think things over." Nitori nodded and let the other boy continue, "He asked me out after a date. It wasn't even a good date. And Rei-chan got kind of stressed over it, but I said yes because it's Rei-chan."

Nitori turned to Rin who was still somehow competing with haru. They could be at this for hours, he guessed. How would Rin ask him out? How would he ask Rin out? It all seemed useless. 

"How far have you gone?" Nagisa pulled him out of his thoughts. 

He didn't turn away from Rin who was winning this round in the race, "We've only slept together." 

Nagisa gasped and Nitori realized what he said. 

"Not like that! We had clothes on." Nitori sighed, "We just kiss." 

Nagisa hummed a response. 

"I'm okay with it as long as he is." 

The two boys watched Rin win his race against Haru. Rei and Makoto swam up to them and Rei took Nagisa away. The couple decided to leave early. Nitori and Makoto watched the competitive boys swim, both knowing they willingly tagged along to sit for however long. 

Nitori was feeling oddly jealous. Haru and Rin had something he did not have. He grabbed his stomach, feeling a wave of nausea pass through. Makoto looked over in concern, but Nitori reassured him it was nothing. They talked about swimming mainly. It was mutual ground. Only slightly moving towards food when Haru announced that he was hungry. 

Makoto helped Haru out of the water. They said their goodbyes and went home. Haru left the key to lock up the pool in Rin's bag, he announced when they left. It was just Rin and Nitori.

Rin swam up to Nitori, "Still not feeling good enough to swim?" 

Nitori decided to finally jump into the pool. He wasn't up for swimming. Just wanted to feel the water as Rin talked to him. 

"What were you and Nagisa talking about?" Rin leaned in closer to him. 

Nitori hummed, "Rei." 

Rin pulled away, "Glasses? Why?" 

Nitori held his hands out, urging Rin into his arms. "He and Nagisa are a thing," Nitori whispered. 

Rin nodded, water dripped from his hair onto Nitori's shoulder. Shivering, Nitori sank under the surface of the water to his chin. Rin pushed himself closer, their bodies were now touching. 

"What else did you talk about?" Rin's voice came out as a dreamy haze. But Nitori wasn't sure if that was his voice or if it was in his head. 

Instead of speaking, Nitori kissed Rin. He instantly fell into the kiss, wrapping his arms around the taller boy. Rin cupped his face, and licked his lips. Opening his mouth, Nitori sighed into the kiss. His hands drifted lower and cupped around Rin's ass. Rin let out a small gasp, but didn't move his hands away. 

Instead he slipped his hands under the water, shyly running his fingers around the edges of Nitori's suit. Moving his fingers into the suit Nitori shook his head. Rin rubbed his fingers against Nitori's abdomen, and wrapped around his thin waist. 

He pulled Nitori into a deep kiss. Rubbing their wet bodies against each other, tongues moving together, hands clumsily wandering. It was perfect. Rin pulled away first. 

"Wow," Nitori whispered. His hands wrapped around Rin's head, pulling him into another kiss. 

Rin smiled into the kiss, "Wow."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> drinks a bunch of beer and thinks about swimming and ice-cream because it is cold. 
> 
> lots of talking, but I am a lazy butt. But that kiss though. Idk confessions soon? Probably. I wanna add Sou and Momo soon too.


	17. Around You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "And you have the sweet, sinful smile. I'm in trouble. Because you turn me upside down, and around, and around." Ingrid Michaelson, Around You

Nitori lost count of the number of kisses, honestly. He was swimming in pure bliss. Mind clouded, body light, emotions pure and full of all emotions. Everything felt so good. Everything was good. 

Rin would give him a kiss every morning before leaving for class. And Nitori would kiss him every night before bed. It was a ritual. A ritual that was sweet and endearing. The kisses always gave Nitori butterflies in his stomach. The ones that swam around like they were falling behind in a race. 

The kisses left Nitori lightheaded. He'd sigh into them and go about his daily routine. And then he'd cling onto Rin's shirt and kiss him before bed. Sometimes the kisses were quick. Most of the time the kisses deepened and Rin would pull away before shooing Nitori off to bed. 

Tonight was one of those nights where the kiss deepened. Rin wrapped his arms around Nitori, pulling him as close as possible. Nitori had his hands tangled into Rin's hair. Warmth building up between them, Rin was the first to pull away. But tonight was different. 

Instead of telling Nitori to go to bed, Rin still held him close. Blushing, he looked over to the bottom bunk of the bed. 

"You want to..." Rin ran a hand through his hair. 

Nitori nodded before fully realizing what he had agreed to. 

The two comfortably laid in the bed together. Silence falling over them. Nitori could hear his heart racing as he turned onto his stomach. Rin laid on his side, still watching the smaller boy fidget. 

Avoiding eye contact, Nitori mumbled something. 

"What was that?" Rin put a hand on Ai's back.

Nitori sat up, "Are we going to have," He quieted his voice to a whisper, "sex?" Now red in the face, Nitori felt exposed. He fell face first, embarrassed with himself. 

Rin stayed quiet, making Nitori think that he had fallen asleep. After some time Rin finally spoke, "I'm not, I mean I don't." 

He sighed, sitting up. Wrapping his arms around himself, Rin continued, "I'm not ready." 

Placing a hand on Rin's arm, Nitori smiled up at him. He coaxed him to lay back down. Intertwining their fingers beneath the covers, allowing the silence to take over. 

"I'm fine with kissing." Nitori whispered. 

Rin rolled onto his side, placing a kiss on the hand he held. The grip on his hand tightened. 

"Me too." Rin's voice came out an octave higher, exposing how nervous he was. 

Rin fell asleep first. Nitori listened to the change in his breathing before pulling out of his embrace. Closing his eyes, Nitori traced Rin's features with his fingertips. The tips of his nails grazing the skin on Rin's arms. 

Nitori pulled Rin's arm around him. Falling against the warm embrace that moved in closer, holding their bodies together. Nitori felt a faint kiss on his forehead before drifting off to sleep. 

And he woke up with the same lips brushing against his lips in the morning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had 3 tests and have 4 major projects I need to do. So have a cute story about staying warm and assurance.   
> I am starting my Christmas ideas early and need more ideas for my boyfriend. Sighs loudly. I am trash.


	18. Mistake

Rin pulled himself back up for the last sit up. He breathed out a sigh of relief. Glancing around the room to see who was there, he saw the other athletes consumed in their own workout routines. The boys sat at the front corner of the room. The door leading to the room was empty and the room seemed distracted. They were out of sight of the other boys. So Rin reached out to Nitori, who diligently held his feet, and gave him a quick kiss. 

"S-senpai! Somebody could've seen," nitori mumbled. Hiding the blush that slowly spread across his cheeks. 

They switched places, Rin holding down Nitori's feet for sit-ups. Nitori, still red in the face, began his workout. 

Sit-ups were a simple warm-up. But having Rin meet his face every time he actually sat up was making him feel out of breath. Nitori paused, sitting up to face Rin. He felt like he was breathing harder than usual. 

He watched Rin's features as Rin stared down at him. His lips hung open, his hair was falling out of his ponytail, and his eyebrows furrowed together. He looked so beautiful with sweat dripping down his forehead from his strict warm-up. Rin was never good at core routines. 

Nitori breathed out and took a moment before falling back down. He brought himself back up, feeling his stomach tighten when met with the gaze of the Matsuoka. Nitori couldn't handle it anymore. Rin was too cute, still worn out from his own routine. Sneaking kisses after sets. 

Leaning in, Nitori kissed Rin on the lips. Rin froze under the touch before pushing into it. Nitori ran circles with his fingers against Rin's hands. He felt Rin pull him into a hug. The two were making out in a corner of the exercise room with no shame. Nitori was surprised by Rin's sudden enthusiasm. He held a strong grip onto his hand. 

A loud cough interrupted them causing Rin to push away Nitori. The two panted, looking up to Seijuro who was surrounded by other swim team members. 

"Uh," Rin stood up, "We were just..." He couldn't think of anything. 

Seijuro held up his hands in defense. "No need to explain," He avoided eye contact and walked into the room. 

Nitori watched Rin's eyes follow Seiguro and the other swim team members. They all began their own conversations. Nitori stared up from his spot on the floor. Rin breathed heavily, clenching his fists. Nitori wanted to tell him that it wasn't a big deal. 

It wasn't a big deal. 

Was it? 

Nitori stood up. He walked up to Rin, placing a hand into his hand. Rin quickly pulled away. Nitori flinched at the action and pulled his hands close to himself, rubbing them together. He watched Rin storm off. And all he could do was reach out and watch him go.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> finals are killing me. 
> 
> i am sad. so i make my boys sad. uh. may get sadder or happier. idk. whatever you want.


	19. After

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nitori deals with what happened.

Nitori reached out the the door handle, but pulled away. It felt wrong to enter his own room. He wasn't even sure if Rin was behind the door. He ran his fingers over the handle of the door. His room card hesitated in his other hand, hovering over the machine that would open the door. He closed his eyes and slid his ID card into the slot, opening the door. 

Rin wasn't there. 

Nitori breathed out, though it didn't make him feel at ease. He went about his nightly routine. He showered, studied, ate dinner, and went to bed. The simple tasks deemed themselves more difficult in the process. To which Nitori only smiled to himself and went on with it. 

Rin would get over it, he thought to himself. He would come back any minute. Minutes turned to hours. And Nitori found himself drowsy before Rin came back. And in the morning Rin was still gone. Maybe he spent the night at one of the Iwatobi boy's houses. 

Nitori tried not to feel jealous. He really did try. It was an ugly feeling that washed over him. After growing so accustomed to small kisses in the morning and deep ones at night, and to be pulled away from them. Especially in such a haste manner, one displayed for all to see, was not nice. It left a bitter taste in Nitori's mouth. His stomach squeezed into itself as he thought about the way Rin walked away from him. 

The boys in the weight room didn't even seem to care. 

"What's his problem?" One of the boy's had asked Nitori. 

Nitori had only shrugged it off. He glanced to Seijuro, who held direct eye contact with him. Nitori waited until after their training to talk to him. 

"You okay?" Were the first words out of Seijuro's mouth. 

Nitori sat on the bench, scooting over to make room for the taller boy. He nodded in response. His eyes were still focused on the floor beneath him. 

Seijuro wiped his own sweat off with his towel, "So," he chanced a look at Nitori. "You and Matsuoka, huh?" 

Nitori's blushed a deep crimson red, "We just kiss." His own voice shook with nerves making it seem unbelievable. He didn't want to taint his senpai's name. 

"It's fine," Seijuro placed a hand on Nitori's shoulder. Nitori looked up at him, "If you like him or if it's just that," the older boy continued. 

"I," Nitori's shoulders caved in on themselves. He found himself crying. It felt so ugly to be crying in front of someone he respected. Especially after they had to face him in such an intimate scene. 

Laughing to himself, Nitori pushed Seijuro's hand away. "It's just me," Nitori sniffled, "that likes him." 

Seijuro didn't speak. He sat and listened to the younger boy speak. So Nitori did. He told him of how they started kissing, their secret conversations, and how Rin had been there for him. How he wanted to be there for Rin. And Seijuro had explained to him that he had kind of known. All of the swim team had known. And he reassured that it was okay. 

It was okay. 

Nitori repeated that to himself as he laid in the bunk of his bed. He held the blankets close to himself, trying to catch any scent of Rin in the sheets. It was okay, he repeated to himself before drifting off to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am stressed and sad so I want to make Nitori sad. Hoping it gets better. Writing it as I go along. Idk my own life. I'm just a trash can.


	20. Everybody

It was already in the morning hours when Rin finally came back into the dorm room. Nitori woke up to the sound of footsteps approaching the bed. He opened his eyes once he felt the bed shift at the weight of Rin climbing the ladder. 

"Welcome back," Nitori sleepily said. He yawned and closed his eyes again. 

Rin stayed silent and only hovered over the bed. "I'm sorry," He finally said when he thought Ai had fallen back asleep, "for walking out on you like that." 

"I'm not mad," Nitori said with his eyes still closed. It was way too early for this. 

But at least Rin was back and talking to him. Nitori was already prepared for the worst. And this could have ended way worse than being woken up at weird hours of the night. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes and scooted over. Lifting the blanket up, he invited Rin in. 

Rin didn't wait to crawl into the bed. He smelled like he just showered, so Nitori figured he went for a jog or something. He wasn't about to ask. That was Rin's business. Instead he wrapped his arms around Rin. And Rin held him close, kissing the top of his head. 

"Ai," He whispered. 

"Mm," Nitori kissed Rin's chin. 

Rin pulled Nitori into a deep kiss. When they pulled apart, Nitori looked up at him with tired eyes. Rin kissed his forehead and down to the tip of his nose. 

Giggling, Nitori held Rin tighter, "Get some sleep, Senpai." 

"I like you," Rin said. 

And it was then that Nitori realized that he could feel Rin's heart. Or was that his? It was beating so fast. It was definitely Rin's heart pounding because Nitori's felt like it had stopped. No, that was just his breathing. 

Nitori breathed out the air he didn't know that he was holding. 

"I like you too," Nitori's voice was loud in the quiet room. 

Rin looked down at him, all curled up in his arms. "Yeah?" His voice was airy and hot. 

"I like you a lot," Nitori said again with confidence. Eyes no longer wide, but focusing on the red head that he clung to. 

Closing his eyes, Nitori leaned in to kiss Rin. Slowly, Rin pushed his tongue against Nitori's lips. They clumsily made out. Bodies pressed together. Sleep deprived. And this was okay. 

They were okay. 

They were in the moment. They accepted on another. And even through heavy-lidded, sleep deprived eyes they felt whole and alive. 

They were together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Everybody by Ingrid Michaelson. 
> 
> Woo. "Your mommy's alright. Your daddy's alright. They just seem a little weiiiird. Surrendeerrr." 
> 
> poopy [tumblr](http://unfortunate-lore.tumblr.com/) for all my drunken writing.


	21. Swimsuit

Nitori anxiously waited outside of the dressing room. He watched the other teammates walk around the store as he waited for his boyfriend. 

His boyfriend. He repeated the word in his head. Dreamily, he looked back to the changing room where Rin was. They were looking for new swimsuits since it was off season and there was really nothing more to do. Thinking back to everything Nitori sighed. Rin had been so frustrated about their friends on the team finding out about their relationship. But when they did find out, even Nitori was surprised that they just congratulated them. 

Nitori laughed as Mikoshiba held up a hideous bright orange suit. At the same time Rin opened up the curtain to show off the legskin suit he liked. And he looked good. Nitori held his breath and stared wide eyed at him. 

The suit was black with a diagonal red cut on the right leg. It clung tightly to Rin's muscles. And Rin turned around, almost oblivious to Nitori's ogling. Nitori had to remind himself to breathe out as Rin showed off his butt in the suit. 

Rin looked over his shoulder, "Are these okay?" 

"What?" Nitori scrunched his brows together. He suddenly realized what Rin was asking, "Oh! I mean yes, Senpai." 

"Ai," Rin walked closer to him. He grinned, "Were you checking me out?" 

Nitori blushed and looked back to their friends wandering the store still. He couldn't just admit that he was looking at Rin like that. But... 

He had to chance another look. Silently, Nitori cursed himself as he turned to face Rin. And Rin was looking so good today. He had his hair in a ponytail and it always framed his face nicely. Not to mention he was shirtless and those legskins fit perfectly. 

Giving up, Nitori nodded. 

Rin blushed and looked around, "You're not gonna try anything on?" 

Nitori quickly grabbed the first suit he saw before running into the changing room. Which was a bad idea. He should have thought this through more. Instead of just grabbing the first thing he saw, he could have tried something he liked. 

Feeling defeated, Nitori called out to Rin. "Promise you won't laugh!" 

Rin was already laughing, "I won't." 

Nitori looked in the mirror. This was a bad idea. No, this was a terrible idea. 

He opened the curtain as fast as he possibly could. Rin stared at him, red faced, before turning away. 

"No," Rin's voice cracked. 

Nitori immediately bowed, "I'm so sorry." 

He shut the curtain and pulled off the metallic golden swim briefs. They were too embarrassing to look at. And now that he was dressed in normal clothes, he had to face Rin again. 

When he opened the curtain again Rin had changed back into his normal clothes. And Nitori couldn't help but sigh because he still managed to look stylish. 

They both looked to the floor. 

"I'm sorry," Nitori repeated. 

"What? Why?" Rin reached out to him. He pulled back and tugged at the collar of his hoodie. 

Nitori wanted to desperately change the subject, "Are you going to get those?" He pointed to the legskins in Rin's hand. 

"Yeah," Rin smiled. "You going to get those?" He pointed to the suit Nitori was holding behind his back. 

"What?" Nitori looked up at Rin. And when Rin laughed, Nitori blushed even harder. "You promised," He pouted. 

Rin quieted down. He put on a serious face and looked at Nitori. Rin stared him down. Nitori knew that look by now. He walked backwards into the changing room. Rin followed and shut the curtain. 

"You should get them," Rin wrapped his arms around Nitori. 

"Why?" Nitori was still pouting. 

"You look cute with them," Rin leaned down and kissed his neck. "Kind of like that guy from that musical you made me watch the other day." 

Of course Rin would reference the movie that Nitori had picked for their movie night. He had complained through the entire thing, but seemed to remember and enjoy every detail. 

Nitori wrapped his arms around Rin's shoulders. He looked up to Rin and closed his eyes. Puckering his lips out he awaited a kiss. Rin gave him a quick kiss on the lips. Nitori opened his eyes. The kiss was too fast. 

"That's it?" Nitori looked offended. He felt as if maybe he did something wrong. 

Rin rubbed his cheek, "We're in public." 

Nitori could see the blush darken Rin's face. They weren't technically in public, they were behind a curtain. And he was about to argue this to Rin when there was a loud knock on the side of the room. 

"Stop being gross you two," Mikoshiba said from the other side. 

Nitori covered his face as he listened to his other friends snicker and joke. 

Rin threw the curtain open and yelled, "Shut-up!" To which they all listened to. And it left Nitori giggling to himself. 

Because this was his boyfriend. Blushing and screaming at their teammates. Nitori still felt anxious even now. But it was a good kind of anxious ̶ if that was a thing. Butterflies filled his belly and warmed his cheeks. And his friends stared at him as he continued to laugh. 

But like hell he was going to get that swimsuit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> laughs because it took 20 chapters for them to finally get together.   
> But imagine Nitori in [THESE](http://www.swimoutlet.com/p/dolfin-metallics-racer-41345/?color=206)


	22. Haircut

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nitori tries cutting his hair and Rin is shirtless

Looking in the mirror, Nitori blows air through his mouth making his bangs flip up. His hair is getting too long. He picks up a pair of scissors and holds the hair he wants gone in between his fingers. It's something he's done before. That doesn't mean he's good at it. He usually just clips until it doesn't cover his eyes anymore. 

That's when Rin swings open the door. He screams in horror the same time Nitori clips only half of what he's holding. 

Rin rushes up to him, yanking the scissors out of his hands. He checks Nitori over and only finds a sloppy haircut in process. 

"What the hell are you doing?" Rin yells. He isn't angry just surprised. 

Nitori fights for the scissors but Rin is too tall. He sits back into the chair and wheels around to look into the mirror once more. Pouting, he runs his fringe between his fingers. It's usually not this uneven. It looks awful. Laughable. Rin is still staring him down. He sighs at looks up to Rin. 

"Cutting my hair," Nitori holds his hand out, "Can I have those back." 

Rin holds the scissors up higher and shakes his head. "Like hell I'm letting you near these things," He brings his free hand up to Nitori's bangs, "they were so cute too." 

"What?" Nitori's ears perk up. 

Rin backs away. He's putting the scissors where Nitori can't reach now. Nitori watches as he removes his jacket and shirt, throwing both into the hamper. He sighs as Rin sits down on the bed. 

He suddenly realizes that his hair is sloppily cut. And he can't let a shirtless Rin distract him. 

"Can I have the scissors back?" Nitori whines. Because Rin is looking so fine and he just isn't.

Rin looks at him and leans back. Nitori groans and walks up to Rin. He's kind of angry. Because his hair looks awful and more uneven than ever and it is all Rin's fault. 

"Why?" 

Nitori sighed. He was tired. His hair was uneven. Rin was frustrating him in more ways than one. 

"I need to cut my hair." 

"You don't go to a hairstylist?" Rin peeked at Nitori. He looked absolutely appalled.

Crossing his arms, Nitori stared Rin down. He didn't say a word until Rin sat back up. Nitori didn't break eye contact. 

Rin finally stood up and stood up to get the scissors, "Let me do it." 

Nitori gave up. He just wanted his hair out of his face. He sat down on the chair and closed his eyes. Rin clipped at his hair. 

When Rin pulled away Nitori opened his eyes. He looked up to Rin and turned to the mirror. It was a nice cut, luckily. 

Hugging Rin, Nitori squeezed him. "Thank you!" He repeated. 

Rin shyly hugged back, "Did you doubt me?" 

"Yes," Nitori said without any idea of what that would do to Rin's self-esteem. 

He was so happy with his haircut. It was right above his eyes and the tips of his ears just how he liked it. A bowl cut without the bowl. 

"You scared the crap out of me with those scissors," Rin squeezed Nitori's cheeks together. 

Nitori let out a loud laugh. Rin laughed along with him as he moved in closer. 

Nitori held his hands on Rin's hips as he looked up to Rin who was laughing and leaning into him. He kissed him hard. Their teeth knocked but they got a hold of it. Nitori licked Rin's lips, and Rin opened his mouth in response. He let out a small moan as Nitori took control of the situation. He stood up and pushed Rin towards the bed. Rin didn't need much convincing to lie back down onto the mattress.

Nitori kissed Rin from his lips to his bellybutton. Slowly placing each kiss down his neck and chest. It was nice payback hearing Rin breathe into his touch. He looked up at Rin. Kissing his belly, Rin giggled at the touch. Nitori kissed back up to his lips. 

"What are you doing?" Rin waves his hand, still in a giggling fit. 

"Seducing you," Nitori whines as he kisses Rin's cheek. 

Rin places his hands on Nitori's shoulders. "It's working," He says before pulling Nitori back into a deep kiss.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> always open to more ideas to these two kissing. i have a list of ideas.   
> also want to cover more of rin's dilemma. because it is important in their relationship. 
> 
> Happy New Year!


	23. Birthday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's Nitori's birthday.

Winter holiday had approached fast. Rin and Nitori had both gone home for break with the promise to call whenever they had the chance. And they did just that. Most nights they would fall asleep on the phone with each other. It made for the loneliness that came from sharing a room and then having to part so soon. 

Rin found comfort in hearing Nitori's voice over the phone. They had video chatted a few times, but that usually led to Nitori showing off his extensive toy collection. Rin couldn't stand looking at the clutter of Nitori's room even if Nitori himself was being cute. So they usually stuck with late night phone calls. 

One morning, Rin woke up to his mom and sister laughing over him. Rin drowsily glared at them in an attempt at intimidation. His sleep had been disrupted and he just wanted his family to let him sleep. Why were they even laughing? Was he drooling? 

Rin wiped his mouth off and his phone slid off of its place on the side of his face in the process. Before he could grab it Gou yanked it up. 

"Were you up all night talking to a girl, Rin?" His mother teased. 

Rin blushed, "No." He turned to Gou who had her arm stretched up and was now clicking buttons Rin couldn't see. 

"Then who was it?" Gou clicked through his phone. She paused and her eyes widened. She looked back at Rin and smiled, "Nitori?" 

She could've acted a little more surprised. 

Rin blushed under the knowing stare of his sister and the confused one of his mother. He snatched his phone back and put it under his pillow. 

"Who's that?" His mom asked. 

"His roommate who's also on the swim team," Gou shared with their mother. 

Rin wanted to sleep. He wanted to crawl under his blankets and stop this embarrassing conversation from happening. He wanted Gou to stop talking about Nitori and stop giving him that weird look. 

"And you were on the phone with him all night?" There was a hint of understanding in his mom's voice. She was catching on. 

"He was having a hard time," It wasn't a complete lie. "It's his first birthday without his mom," Rin mumbled. 

His mom smiled. And just when Rin thought their conversation was done his phone's text ring went off. The three looked to the pillow where the noise came from. 

Rin waited for his family to leave. 

"Aren't you going to get that?" Gou asked. 

Rin growled and reached under his pillow. Before he could open the message from Nitori his phone was yanked out of his hands. This time his mother grabbed it meaning he could do literally nothing to stop her. 

"Aw," She cooed, "you even put hearts around his name." 

Gou was reading the phone over her shoulder. Rin thought it couldn't get any worse. Until Gou read the message aloud. 

"Good morning, Rin. Heart emoji, sorry I fell asleep last night. Stay warm and enjoy your day." 

Rin covered his face with the blanket, "Alright, I'm dating Nitori. Happy? Now leave!" 

He could feel his heart race as his mom and sister stayed quiet. The door opened and shut, and Rin sighed a breath of relief. They had left. 

Turning onto his side, he closed his eyes to get back to sleep. He felt the bed shift as somebody sat down. Looking over his shoulder he blew out a puff of air still seeing his mom. 

She placed a hand on his blanket covered knee, "Rin." Her voice was neither demanding nor was it mad. 

It coaxed Rin into sitting up to face her completely. He still refused to make direct eye contact. 

"This boy," His mom held up the phone. 

He nodded, his throat too dry to speak. Rin felt like his heart was in his throat ready to burst out. Or maybe that was vomit. Yeah, he was pretty sure he was about to barf all over his mom. 

"How long have you two been dating?" 

"Not long," Rin forced out. 

He couldn't tell where his mom was going with this. Honestly, he was kind of terrified. She had always talked about things like the type of girl who would marry a swim obsessed freak like Rin. And Rin had always stuttered around that topic. Because Rin didn't want to marry a girl. Or somebody that wasn't just as into swimming as he was.

"You said he's having a hard time?" His mom handed back his phone. 

Rin looked at the text Nitori sent to him and smiled at it. "Yeah," He looked back up to his mom, "his mom passed away and apparently she had a lot of birthday traditions that they aren't doing this year."

His mom stood up and stretched, "Call him up and invite him over." 

Rin stared up at his mom in shock. "Wait, what?" 

" I'll make a cake for you to take over." His mom seemed to ignore the disbelief on Rin's face. 

"You're not... mad?" 

His mom smiled, "Do you want me to be?" 

Rin shook his head. 

"Call your boyfriend then come get breakfast." His mom playfully slapped at his exposed foot. 

Rin only nodded before calling Nitori. His boyfriend. 

Rin met up with a shivering Nitori at the train station an hour later. They walked slowly through the streets. Nitori didn't talk much. A sure sign that he was nervous. 

As they approached Rin's doorstep, Nitori turned to Rin. "Do I look okay?" 

"What?" Rin looked Nitori over from head to toe. 

He looked adorable. His sweater was too big and too blue. He shivered and looked like a newborn fawn with shaking legs. Wide eyes met his and Rin ruffled Nitori's hair. 

"You're fine," He pulled Nitori into a tight hug. 

Nitori kissed Rin's chest, "You look handsome today." 

"I don't always?" Rin pulled back pretending to be offended. 

Nitori began to panic, "You look really cool all the time!" 

Rin kissed his forehead. "I'm just messing with you," He smiled fondly at Nitori. 

They went into Rin's home and were welcomed with the smell of cake in the oven and his sister's smiling face. His mom rushed out of her room to greet them. 

Nitori politely bowed and introduced himself. He waved at Gou who gave him a hug. 

"Happy birthday!" Gou tightened her hug. 

"Thank you," Nitori blushed. 

"Nice to meet you," Rin's mother introduced herself. "Rin has told me nothing about you," She grinned. 

Rin sighed and nudged Nitori forward towards his room. Nitori bowed to his mom and sister again before entering Rin's bedroom. 

"Keep the door open," His mom called out to them before Rin had the chance to shut it. 

Nitori looked around Rin's room in awe. It was a simple room. An old desk in one corner, a bookcase, and his bed. There were a few old posters and a picture frame here and there. But overall it was nothing special. 

Rin sat down on the bed and patted the space next to him. Nitori shuffled across the room and sat down. Rin dug under his bed and pulled out a wrapped box. 

"Happy birthday," He pushed the box into Nitori's arms. 

"Thank you!" 

Rin watched as Nitori ripped through the paper. He opened the small box and pulled out the swimming goggles in them. He checked them over and adjusted them to fit on his face. 

"How do they look?" Nitori asked once they fitted properly. 

Rin laughed, "Cute." 

Nitori laughed along with him. He pulled the goggles off and put them to the side. Nitori kissed Rin's cheek. 

They sat in a comfortable silence. Rin laid back down and Nitori followed. He lay on top of Rin, and Rin knew he could hear his heart race. Rin wrapped an arm around Nitori. 

They ended up falling asleep. Curled up in the comfort of the other's arms. Warmth radiated off of Nitori and Rin instantly fell into it. He woke up before Nitori and pulled the covers over them. He watched as Nitori snored next to him. Drool was on his arm from Nitori, but he didn't care. 

Rin touched Nitori's cheeks with his free hand. Slowly dragging his fingertips down to his lips. Nitori stirred awake, brow furrowing. Rin smiled and pushed the middle of his brow crease. Watching as Nitori's face relaxed. Rin dragged his fingers down the bridge of his nose and pinched it shut. 

Nitori opened his eyes and his mouth. Rin laughed to himself and let go of Nitori's nose. Nitori gave him a soft slap on the back of his hand. 

They lay staring at each other. Neither bothered checking the time. 

"I missed you," Nitori admitted. 

And Rin understood what he meant. There was only so much that video chat and phone calls could do. The real thing won every time. Having Nitori there with him brought a warmth to his stomach that was new. Something that swimming brought to him. But this was a person. A real life person that liked him as much as he liked him. 

Rin showed off his bright grin, "I missed you too."

Nitori moved in closer to Rin. He softly kissed Rin's lips. And it left Rin breathless.

Rin smiled at Nitori. He wrapped his arms tighter around him. Bringing him into another kiss. This time the kiss was longer. Opened mouths explored each other slowly. Hands were wrapped tightly around each other. 

Rin felt on top of the world. His heart raced in the same way if he'd won a race. But his mind was filled with nothing but Nitori. It was nice. 

He licked at Nitori's lips. Hearing the soft moan that escaped Nitori made him bite down. He bruised his lip, sucking at the skin. 

Nitori responded by kissing his neck. Sucking at the skin knowing full well that he'd leave a mark. He pulled away with a soft pop. Humming as he checked over the mark he just made. 

Rin kissed his lips again. Then kissed his nose. Nitori giggled at the attention as Rin placed small kisses all over his face. 

There was a soft cough at the door. Rin immediately pulled away from Nitori and sat up. He saw Gou awkwardly standing at the door. 

"Cake is ready," She smiled at Rin. 

Rin nodded and Nitori jumped out of bed. Rin listened as Nitori chatted with his sister. Talking about how he just woke up, and how he hasn't been able to sleep well and doesn't know why. 

They walked up to the table to the cake with candles lit. Nitori got quiet as he looked at it and bowed to Rin's mom. He sat down and Rin placed plates down. They sang 'Happy Birthday' to Nitori and watched as he blew out the candles. 

When Rin cut out a piece to everyone he waited for Nitori to take a bite.

"It's so good," Nitori smiled at Rin's mom. "Thank you," His voice cracked. 

"Happy birthday," His mom responded with. 

Nitori finished the piece of cake. Tears trying to escape the corners of his eyes. 

Rin looked to him and asked, "You okay?" 

Nitori sniffled and smiled, "Yeah." He bowed again in thanks. When he sat up straight in his seat, tears fell out of the corners of his eyes. "Thank you," He repeated as tears rolled down his cheeks. 

Rin pulled him into a hug. "You're welcome," He kissed the top of Nitori's head. 

Gou walked around and hugged Nitori from behind. Their mom rubbed the back of Nitori's head. Each comforting him in their own way. 

"Thank you," Nitori smiled through his tears.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Belated birthday gift to follower.   
> also nitori's birthday! 
> 
> thank you for the read! i hope your new year is good but if it isn't then i hope it gets better.


	24. fight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> underage alcohol use mention

Rin was in trouble. He currently stood outside of his dorm room and paced the halls. Everything had happened so fast it was almost dreamlike. Or a nightmare. Rin was living in a nightmare. A nightmare he created. 

It began a few nights ago. Rin was heading out to Haruka's house again. Nitori sat up from his top bunk and waved him off. It wasn't uncommon for Nitori to sit in bed and read his various notebooks and magazines. But that wasn't Rin's thing. 

Nitori could be really to himself. He sat in bed on their off days and only really got up if Rin forced him out. Rin liked going out to have fun. He was the type to sneak into the pool at odd hours of the night. Or he was breaking curfew while stealing sips of somebody's liquor. Going out to have fun was Rin's thing. And he accepted Nitori staying indoors. And Nitori accepted him. 

Or at least he thought. 

Nitori let out a loud puff of air as Rin said a quick goodnight. It was Saturday and he was ready to cut loose, let loose, and feel good. And a midnight swim with childhood friends and stolen alcohol was the perfect way to do that. He didn't think to invite Nitori. 

Nitori didn't think to invite himself. 

Rin knocked at the door again. This time it was softer. He wasn't trying to wake the entire hall, just Nitori. Rubbing his face when Nitori didn't answer, Rin sighed. 

He was in serious trouble. 

It was still chilly and his jacket was way too light. He spent the night with his friend's from Iwatobi again. They were full of energy and full of sinful adventure. They all had that you only live once vibe and Rin was a fool not to follow along. He felt young and free. 

Now he was out in the cold. Knocking at a door he knew wouldn't open. 

His face felt warm. Rin was still a little drunk off of cheap wine and beer. He knocked a little harder at the door. This time he tried calling out to Nitori. 

The room was quiet. 

Rin tried something he hadn't yet. He opened the door. It was unlocked. Laughing at how dumb he felt, Rin entered the room. It was just as cold and quiet as the hallway. And empty. 

Crawling up to the top bunk, Rin found a note. From Nitori, it had said where he was and to get some rest. A picture of Nitori smiling (it was a crappy drawing) was sloppily colored next to the words. Rin let out a sigh of relief knowing where he was. But suddenly felt anxious. 

Nitori had waved him off so easily. But so had he. Rin had slinked off at weird hours of the night for the past two weeks. Everything seemed to have so much more meaning now. Before, as friends, Rin could sneak off anytime he wanted. Their rule was as long as the other person was told they were gone and when they would come back. But Rin was now dating Nitori. 

Surely Nitori didn't believe different rules applied. Rin was starting to think different rules were in order now. He was sleeping over at Haru's enough to make anyone question. Especially considering Nitori knew their history. 

Rin slapped himself on the cheek. He wasn't taking into consideration that this was important. 

Communication was important. It was what his mother always told him about relationships. But it was also harder than anything else. Even something as simple as an invitation out with friends was hard. Rubbing at his temples, Rin sighed. He gave Nitori's bed bunk one last work before jumping back down. 

Now, with the note in hand, he knew where to find Nitori. And properly apologize for leaving him alone so many nights. He didn't realize the anxiety. It felt as if he ran to the room. It was in the same building, another athlete, but not somebody on the swim team. 

Knocking once, Nitori opened the door giggling. He looked up drowsily at Rin. Eyes closing as he smiled brightly not even trying to hide the blush on his cheeks. Blinking his eyes open, Nitori laughed. 

The other boy, another first year, waved him inside. The room had a bunch of other boys from the floor crammed inside. The smell of alcohol weighed heavy. Rin sighed again, not being sober himself but he still knew he was in trouble. 

Nitori swung his arm around Rin, "Senpai," He said with a hitch in his breath, "How are you?" 

Rin held Nitori close, "Let's go back to our room." His voice was low and only meant for Nitori. 

They left, a blushing Nitori at his side, to the sound of rambunctious teenagers yelling at them.

Once inside their room, Rin grabbed two bottles of water. They sat in silence as they drank. Giving each other swift glances as they chugged down water. 

"Rin," Nitori whispered. 

Rin dropped his water bottle. He looked down at Nitori, who refused to make eye contact with him. 

"Yeah," Rin touched his knee. It felt too intimate. 

Nitori ran his fingertips against the back of Rin's hand. The sensation brought chills to Rin. Tingling his skin with each touch, he dragged his fingers up to his shoulder and back down. Wrapping his small hand around Rin's wrist, he smiled. 

"I missed you," Nitori's voice cracked. 

Rin leaned down to kiss Nitori, "I know."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> woomp. i'm sad. get me out of this funk.  
> thank you for reading. i love you all very much.


	25. okay

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> rin is forgiven

Rin was sitting on his bunk with a magazine in hand. Nitori was right above him in his own bed for once. And it was frustrating Rin to no end. He wanted Nitori to crawl down and roll into bed with him. Not that he would ever say that. 

Nitori was being extremely passive aggressive to Rin. He said he was over Rin leaving to play with his friends. But now Rin didn't feel like it was over. 

"Ai," Rin looked above him. 

There wasn't a response. 

Sighing, Rin continued, "I know you're still mad. But can we at least talk about it?" 

Nitori still didn't respond. So Rin took initiative and got up to climb to the top bunk. 

"I'm gonna lay with you," He spoke to the curled up outline of Nitori through the comforter. 

Nitori scooted over but didn't lift the blanket as he normally would. Rin laid down with his angry boyfriend. Rin was angry himself. He wanted to fix this. He needed to fix this. 

"I'm sorry for leaving you alone those nights," Rin began. 

Nitori pulled the blanket down. Now his eyes were leveled with Rin's. He waited to hear more. 

So Rin supplied him with such, "I should have invited you." He took a chance and brushed Nitori's bangs back, "I was insensitive to your feelings. I am sorry." 

"I was lonely," Nitori mumbled in the covers. 

"I know," Rin kissed his forehead. 

They laid in a comfortable silence. 

"I am sorry," Rin repeated. 

Nitori tugged at the sheets Rin was on. He helped pull them up and wrapped himself in the warmth of the blankets. 

"I like going out too," Nitori kissed Rin's nose. 

"You always stay in bed." 

Nitori pulled the blankets over their heads. He waited three counts before speaking up again. 

"Nobody ever asks me out." 

Rin sat up, the blanket letting light giving Rin a better view of his boyfriend. He saw the tears falling down Nitori's face now. Rin felt his stomach sink. He choked on his own words. Not knowing what to say. 

"Want to go out tomorrow?" Rin's words were rushed. 

Nitori sniffled and nodded. Rin wiped his eyes for him. Nitori smiled and kissed him. 

Taken aback, Rin's eyes were open in surprise during the kiss. It was so sudden. When Nitori pulled away Rin brought him right back into a deeper kiss. He felt Nitori inch his hand under his shirt, so he took it off and tossed it to the floor. 

They went right back to kissing. Rin, feeling the heat in his cheeks rise, lifted Nitori's shirt. Nitori helped by pulling it over his head. 

He rolled on top of Rin. Kissing him on his lips, nose, and forehead. Nitori moved down to his throat leaving soft kisses. Slowly sucking at the skin, nibbling and licking. Making Rin wonder where he learned how to do that. Possibly leaving marks that Rin could care less about in the moment. Instead, he was focused on Nitori kissing down his chest. 

Kissing over his heart, Nitori looked up to Rin. Waiting for every reaction he had to offer. Rin was blushing to hard, on the verge of tears from embarrassment. Nitori kissed his bellybutton. Licking the sensitive skin around it. 

Eyes focused on Rin squirming beneath him he smiled, "You're forgiven." 

Rin urged Nitori up. And Nitori followed, kissing him on the lips. And everything was okay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> date, date, date!
> 
> shamelessly promotes makorharu fic. pearl tears is my current baby. im actually working on it. and im excited. okay. thanks for the read!


	26. Clumsy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nitori isn't enjoying their first date as much as he thought.

Movie dates were supposed to be easy. Easy and fun. That's what Nitori thought before his palm started to sweat as he held Rin's hand. Was he supposed to let go? What if Rin thought that was him being rude? 

He used to think movie dates would be fun before he had to actually make a decision on a movie. They stood staring at the list for fifteen minutes before Rin ruffled his hair (which he spent a long time on) and decided. 

Dates were supposed to be fun. But this was just awkward and uncomfortable. So far Nitori had dropped the popcorn and spilled soda on himself. Leaving him in a dark room with a sweaty hand and sticky. 

Which would sound fun and suggestive in any other circumstance. Not while he was trying to enjoy a nice date with Rin. 

It was their first date. Nitori had to make it special. He couldn't let Rin down. He could choose where they ate lunch. That's how he'd make it up. 

Nitori sat through the remainder of the movie thinking. His stomach bubbled with uneasiness. He looked like a mess. His hair was still standing where Rin had touched it. And he could smell the carbonated sugar drink. It was all he could smell. 

And Rin smelled so good. He used a light smelling cologne, offering Nitori some as they left. Thinking back did it mean something more? Was Rin too nice to tell Nitori that he smelled bad? Oh, he had just showered that morning. 

Self-conscious, Nitori sunk into his seat and watched the end of the film. He couldn't even remember what it was about. 

He felt Rin squeeze his hand before letting go. Rin stretched and turned to Nitori. 

"When did that happen?" Rin pointed to Nitori's outfit. Now stained and soaked through. 

Nitori blushed, "Little while ago." He really didn't know when it happened. He was too focused on his sweaty hand. 

Rin shrugged out of his jacket and draped it on Nitori's shoulders. Nitori put his arms through the sleeves. Making sure to keep his head to the ground because this was embarrassing. And he could feel tears sting at the corners of his eyes. Itching to get out. 

"I'll wash it later," Nitori sniffled. 

Rin stood up and smiled. Nitori got up and followed. He had to fight back the urge to cry. 

Rin stopped causing Nitori to bump into him. Turning around, Rin tapped Nitori's nose, "You hungry?" 

Nitori nodded. 

"You pick since I chose the movie," Rin wrapped his arm around Nitori's shoulders. Another awkward attempt on the date. Especially taking into consideration the small height difference. 

Rin leaned into Nitori. But still radiated the type of confidence Nitori envied. Rin could shamelessly hang over him like this. Although it was probably more for warmth since Rin was now without a jacket on a cold day. 

That didn't help Nitori's mood.

"Oden," He walked out from Rin's embrace. 

Rin followed, catching on that Nitori wasn't in the mood for affection. They ended up in front of a small restaurant. Rin shivered, stuffing his hands into his jean pockets, as they entered. 

Nitori bought them both a bowl of soup to warm up. They ate in silence. Rin tried making conversation only to be given short responses. 

But Rin also had years worth of training with Nanase when it came to short responses. It didn't deter him from the main topic. 

"Are you not having fun with me?" Rin asked. 

Nitori looked up from his now empty bowl. Wide eyes in full panic mode. "What? No!" 

Rin furrowed his brow, "What's wrong then?"

"Nothing," Nitori went to take a sip of water. Only to have it fall into his lap. 

He let out a frustrated cry. 

Rin called over the waitress for more napkins to help clean up. Nitori felt even more embarrassed and ashamed now. 

Nitori covered his face. He wanted to cry. 

"Thank you," He heard Rin tell the waitress. He was fast to clean up the mess Nitori made too. It wasn't long before he was patting Nitori on the shoulder, "Let's go back to the room." 

Nitori nodded and silently followed. 

Once they were back in the room, Rin stripped Nitori out of his jacket. Nitori pulled his shirt off. Something that could be seemingly intimate in another context. 

But Nitori had a way of ruining things. Rin probably pitied him. That's why he was being so quiet. 

Rin walked to the closet to pull out a change of clothes for Nitori. He looked blurry. 

Oh wait. Nitori was crying. 

"Hey," Rin hurried back to him. He rubbed the tears away, "it's okay. I'm right here."

"I messed everything up," Nitori sobbed. 

Rin chuckled. He found humor in this. Nitori must have crossed the line of pity to pure amusement. 

Rin kissed each eyelid. Nitori kept his eyes closed as Rin kissed his cheeks, following the tears that fell to his chin. Rin placed a soft kiss on Nitori's lips. 

"You didn't do anything wrong," Rin put his forehead against Nitori's.

"I ruined our date. I'm in such a bad mood and," Nitori's voice trembled, "first dates are supposed to be memorable." 

Rin gave him another quick kiss, "It was memorable."

Nitori grimaced.

"Look at it this way," Rin said between kisses, "you spilled two different drinks on yourself, got to eat a hot meal with a total hottie, and took him back to your room." Rin gave him a sloppy, wet kiss, "And, you got to kiss him all night long." 

Nitori blushed, eyes fluttering open. "I'm sorry I ruined the mood," Nitori rubbed his eyes. 

"You didn't ruin anything," Rin said reassuringly. "Just," He cupped Nitori's face into his hands, "tell me when you're upset, okay?" 

Nitori nodded and kissed Rin. 

"All better now?" Rin smiled. 

Nitori gave him another kiss, "So..."

He wrapped his arms around Rin, "I got to kiss him all night long?" He repeated Rin's words. 

Rin blushed a deep shade of red. 

"Cute," Nitori said before kissing him. Taking initiative by moving Rin onto the bed. 

Maybe movie dates weren't his thing. But this sure was.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> complains non-stop in notes. haha. school is hard. being sober is hard. anyways it feels like forever and a day since i wrote about these two. 
> 
> thanks for the read!


	27. February 2nd

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's Rin's birthday.

Rin woke up to an empty room. When he was certain Nitori had fallen asleep with him the night before. So waking up to a cold room with his boyfriend nowhere to be found was kind of strange. Checking his phone he saw texts from his sister and friends, and a missed phone call from his mom. But nothing from Nitori. 

He made sure to give his mom a call. Apologizing for sleeping in and missing her mandatory happy birthday call. And yes, he was going to go back home during the break. Finals were just around the corner and he was swamped with schoolwork. 

After calling her Rin got ready for school. On his way to get breakfast he ran into a few friends from the swim team all who wished him a happy birthday. He joked with them and ate breakfast with them. 

Still no signs of Nitori, though. 

Rin went the rest of the day without seeing Nitori or getting a single text from him. Which was strange. He stopped by his classroom after class let out and got told by one of Nitori's classmates that he took off already. 

Even more strange. 

Rin went back to his room deciding to go running. It gave him time to clear his head. It wasn't like he was expecting anything, but not hearing from Nitori all day was starting to bother him. And Rin was starting to think that maybe Nitori just forgot it was his birthday. But that wasn't Nitori's style. So Rin was just going to have to trust whatever it was his boyfriend was planning. 

When he finished his run he found his sister waiting for him in his room. 

"Happy birthday!" She gave him a hug. 

"Gross, I'm all sweaty," Rin hugged her back. 

She pulled away with an, "Ew." Then giggled, "You're probably wondering where your boyfriend is, huh?" 

Rin blushed. Was he really that easy to read? Yeah. He was. 

"Get cleaned up and we'll go to Haruka's."

"He's with them?" 

Gou didn't answer. Only pushed him out, insisting he needed a shower. 

He was quick in washing up and it wasn't long before they boarded the train. When they got to Haru's house Rin wasn't all too surprised that they had it decorated for him. 

Nagisa was the first one to bounce over and hug him. Complaining that Haru wouldn't let him make the cake because he would make it too sweet. Rei pulled Nagisa off of Rin and wished him a polite happy birthday. 

Makoto gave him a quick hug and Haru nodded at him. Nitori shyly stood off to the side. 

Rin glared at him then grinned. It was so cute that his boyfriend spent the day helping his friends plan for this little party. He ruffled Nitori's hair up, hiding his own blushing face. 

"So," Rin looked to Haru, "you better not have made fish." 

Haru rolled his eyes and stared at Nitori, "He wouldn't let me." 

"Yeah," Nagisa hung off of Nitori, "Ai-chan was very insistent on what was for dinner." 

Nitori slipped out of Nagisa's hold, "Don't call me Ai-chan." 

Rin smiled even wider, "Well then let's eat." 

Rin felt spoiled. Absolutely spoiled. He loved the attention on him. And after a night of good food, small gifts, and much needed laughter it all seemed over too fast. Nagisa and Rei offered to make sure Gou got home safely, so Rin and Ai could make it back to the dorms by curfew.

"Were you surprised?" Nitori asked once they were closer to the school. 

Rin purposely brushed his hand against Nitori's. "No," Nitori pouted at that, "I expected something. Though you did give me a surprise by leaving before I even woke up." 

"Oh that was so hard to do!" Rin laughed at Nitori's exaggerated motions, "I am so tired." 

"Then let's hurry to bed," Rin leaned down to kiss his cheek. Only to realize after Nitori's silence how suggestive that sounded. "I mean ̶ I don't mean! Crap." 

Nitori started laughing. He grabbed Rin's hand and led him to their room. 

"I know what you mean," He stood on his toes to kiss Rin. 

They stripped out of their coats, tossing them on the floor. Rin wrapped his arms around Nitori. Bringing him into a deep kiss. Only pulling away to help him out of his clothes. Nitori did the same for him. Soon they were down to their underwear, both giggling. Out of nervousness, embarrassment, and realizing what a bad idea this was.

It was cold. Nitori kept shivering. They both slipped under the covers, squeezing together on Rin's bunk. 

Still laughing, Rin kissed Nitori's forehead. 

Nitori rolled onto his stomach, laughing hard for no reason. It was so cute that Rin gave him another kiss on the top of his head. 

After his fit of the giggles Nitori looked back up to Rin. "Happy birthday," He gave him a quick kiss. 

Feeling sleep take over his body Rin kissed him again, "Thank you." 

Rin wrapped his arms around him and they fell asleep. The warmth of Nitori's body against his skin. And a warm feeling in his heart. He was happy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rin's birthday! Also falling asleep in their underwear because they would (it's a comfort/trust thing).


	28. hickey

Nitori was clinging to him more than usual. It was something Rin was growing accustomed to. But this day was different. 

Nitori sleepily asked if Rin was finished with all his homework. To which Rin nodded and put in his headphones. He figured Nitori would go up to his bunk. It was something that the boy did when he was really tired. 

But to Rin's surprise Nitori crawled into bed with him after turning off the light. Rin smiled, turned off his music, and curled up next to him. Rin kissed his forehead before closing his eyes. 

After a moment of silence Nitori spoke, "Can you take off your shirt?"

Rin opened his eyes wide. Gawking at his boyfriend who was looking up at him with innocent eyes. He sighed before removing his shirt. 

"I spoil you," He pouted. Wrapping his arms around Nitori he thought that they would get to sleep. 

That was until he felt something wet drag across his collarbone. He shuddered into the sensation. Gasping at the sensation of skin being tugged by teeth. 

Nitori stared, eyes resembling an owl, "It's not weird, is it?" 

Rin could feel heat rise in his face. He covered his face with his hands and shook his head. Because no it wasn't weird. It was really attractive. Hot. He felt hot. It was warm under the blankets. 

It was nice. 

Nitori licked at his skin. Looking back up for an okay to move down. Rin reached out his hand to search for Nitori's. Nitori paused over his stomach kissing his bellybutton. 

"Your stomach is cute," Nitori whispered. 

Rin chuckled but it came out shaky, nervous. "You're cute," He tried to sound annoyed to hide how shy he was feeling. How exposed he was. 

Nitori kissed his stomach again, tickling him. Rin let out a laugh so loud that he had to cover his mouth. Only to let out a gasp when he felt a sucking sensation against his skin. Teeth grazing gently against his belly. Giving him a feeling of butterflies knocking against his ribs. 

He let out a soft, high-pitched moan. Mouth still covered by his hand in an attempt to keep quiet. 

Nitori finished his work and sat up to admire the mark he left on Rin. 

"Cute," Nitori traced the still damp hickey with his fingers.

Rin sat up to look at the dark red and purplish mark. He grinned at Nitori. Pulling him into a deep kiss. 

Nitori rolled to his side. He looked at Rin with sleepy eyes. Closing them and smiling. He poked Rin on the chest, "Mine." 

Rin laughed at him, "Yours?" He kissed Nitori's forehead. 

Nitori nodded and opened his eyes back up. He chuckled, "Am I yours?" 

"Yeah, but I'm not going to mark my territory like a dog," Rin teased. 

Nitori let out a fake laugh. He curled up into a tight ball and nudged against Rin with his head, "You have to pet me, and feed me, but don't neuter me please." 

Rin laughed and rolled over, "Go to sleep." 

Behind him he felt Nitori stretch his legs back out. He swung his arm over Rin. Rin fell asleep with Nitori's face pressed into the back of his neck. The last thing he felt was Nitori kiss behind his ear. 

When Rin woke up the next morning Nitori still had his arm draped around him. Rin checked the clock to see he still had time before the alarm went off. He turned over and woke Nitori with a kiss to the forehead. 

Nitori covered his face with the blanket. 

Rin laughed and hugged him through the blanket, "Time to wake up, puppy." 

"It's better than being a shark," Nitori mumbled. 

"Keep talking like that," Rin lifted the blanket off of his boyfriend, "and you'll get bitten." 

He threw the blanket over their heads as he leaned in for a kiss. 

Nitori let out a shriek of laughter. His raspy morning voice making Rin's heart beat faster. This was something Rin could definitely get used to.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> these next few months are going to be long and hard and so have nitori giving rin a hickey and being the big spoon. he also just likes shirtless rin but only admits it when tired.


	29. Valentine

Rin hated chocolate. Nitori knew that. He also knew that Rin didn't like sweets. He liked savory treats. Warm meals and bland energy bars were his thing. So he went with that. 

Nitori looked everywhere for what he needed to make his little surprise. Which was difficult considering Rin lived with him. Dorm rooms left little to hide. 

And that was something Nitori had learned fast. He had stumbled upon Rin's muscle magazines ("they have good fitness techniques!"). And Rin had found Nitori's magazines of scantily clad (ahem) people. They had learned each other's habits and seen one another in their most unflattering forms. 

Nitori smiled thinking of the way Rin's face lit up in the morning. When he finally got Nitori awake and out of bed in time to go jogging. And the way Rin would laugh and talk, mindless chatter, that Nitori wouldn't register until much later. But Rin was always so excited in the mornings. He always started Nitori's day off right. 

And the way Rin would blush all because of Nitori. He liked it when his boyfriend did that. Which happened a lot. Rin would try to cover his face, opting to hug Nitori just to hide his red face. 

Rin was a talker. He could bring up conversation about anything and anyone. Gossip, stories, stuff he read. He had something to say about it all. And he did. Nitori loved listening to Rin talk. And Rin knew Nitori loved talking just as much. It was where they really connected. 

Nitori sighed, arms full of supplies. He walked back to his dorm knowing full well that Rin was out. He dropped the bags to the floor carefully. He locked the door and dropped down, spreading out everything he got. 

Dried fruits, energy bars, breakfast bars, and pretty much any healthy to-go snack he could find. And he arranged it in a basket. Trying to make it look nice. In the end it came out kind of clumsy looking, a little lopsided. Like an arrangement of fruit but uglier. 

Nitori bounced to Rin's bunk bed. He placed the gift basket down and climbed up to his own bunk. 

He anxiously waited for Rin. Distracting himself with books and video games on his DS. When finally Rin walked in. 

"Ai," He called out. 

"Welcome back, Senpai," Nitori crawled over to the side of the bed. Nervously watching Rin walk into the room, "How was your day?" 

Rin held up a small bright pink bag, blushing. The face Nitori loved to see, all docile and shy. 

Nitori climbed down the ladder to give Rin a kiss. He wrapped his arms around him. Smiling when Rin kissed his forehead. 

"Good, and yours?" 

Nitori giggled and looked to the bed where his gift was. Rin looked at it and grinned. 

"Busy day?" Rin ruffled Nitori's hair. He handed the pink bag to Nitori and went to inspect his gift. 

Nitori nodded, "It was so fun looking for all of that." 

They both opened their gifts at the same time. Rin went through the various treats in the basket, smiling when he found the note attached.

'Take care of your body.'

The note was simple. A small heart with Nitori's signature at the bottom. Rin smiled and thanked Nitori with a kiss on the lips. 

Another attempt at hiding the rising blush that spread across his cheeks. 

Nitori opened his gift. A small box of beautifully wrapped chocolates. He smiled, kissing Rin again. 

"Thank you," Nitori whispered against Rin's lips. 

Rin hummed, kissing Nitori on the cheek. 

This was Nitori's favorite thing that Rin did. Kiss him. Sometimes it was soft. Sometimes there was the force of desire behind the kiss. Wet and sloppy, slow and delicate kisses. Nitori loved kissing Rin. 

"Happy valentine's day," Nitori had to stand on his toes to kiss Rin's forehead. 

Rin's entire face was red as he kissed Nitori and mumbled, "Valentine's day."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> uses real life valentine gift idea for story because im lazy and my boyfriend is all healthy fitness kickboxing (maybe it was boxing idk) so i have to make sure no junk food in my gift basket for him.   
> ok enough of me. thanks for reading!


	30. Growing Up Isn't Easy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ai deals with the new school year

Ai kissed Rin for what had to be the one-hundredth time. It was a new year, Rin was captain, and they had changed rooms. Their kisses were stolen in between lunch periods and swim practices. Rin was busy, with it being his last year and new responsibility. And Ai was trying to make the best of his year. 

Ai smiled down at his notebook. He had bumped into Rin on the way back to class and Rin had shyly kissed his cheek. Ai giggled. Still feeling the butterflies flutter in his belly. The warm good feeling that reached his toes. 

Kisses with Rin were always nice. 

But it got frustrating. Just kissing Rin after saying hello. Ai loved to talk, so did Rin, but their schedules would not allow it. So Ai took it upon himself to meet up with Rin on his own time. 

It was a Thursday night, about ten. Momo, his new hyper-active roommate, was already asleep. So Ai sent Rin a quick text. 

'You awake?' 

'This a booty call?' 

Ai could imagine the laughter Rin was making at his own joke. 

'Yes. Meet me at the vending machine.' 

Ai rolled up his blankets and snuck out with them. He tiptoed to the vending machined. His excited laughter muffled through the blankets. He met up with Rin and wrapped his arms around him.

Smiling, Rin ruffled his hair, "What did you want to do?" 

Ai kissed his cheek, "You're my booty call so..." 

Rin blushed, the bright red spreading to his ear and down his neck. The soft light of the vending machine letting Ai see Rin's features change. He was nervous. He couldn't keep his focus on one thing. 

Ai realized he was nervous too. There was no reason to be. But they were both worked up. Not seeing each other for long period of time. And then just meeting to kiss or say hello and goodbye. It was almost like they were strangers, getting acquainted with one another.

Gulping down his anxieties, Ai grabbed onto Rin's hand. He led him up the stairs. They were only lit by emergency lights making the walk creepier than needed. But Ai had been through this area a number of times. He knew where he was going. He could feel Rin's grip tighten as they went up the stairs. Reaching unfamiliar territory for him, he needed the safety net that was Ai. 

Finally reaching the top of the stairs, Ai let go of Rin's hand. He pulled at the door, praying that the emergency alarm wasn't enabled on it. Luckily, it wasn't. And as he opened the door, letting the cold air pour in, they saw it. 

Stars. Not many. The night life had filled the sky with artificial light. The school being a part of that. But they could still see the brightest of stars. Littering the skies. Bringing joy to Rin's face. 

"Ai," He breathed out. 

Ai fluffed out the blankets he brought with him. One the rooftop they fit perfectly. The building was surrounded by lights. The edges were far enough for them to not to worry about falling off. It was a nice area. Ai could feel the stress leave his body as he laid down. 

Rin followed with a loud sigh. He shivered and crawled under the top blanket. Ai followed and they stared up at the stars. 

"You can see more in the country," Rin said. 

Ai agreed. He loved the country more. The simple lives people lived. 

Ai turned to face Rin. It had been over a month since he could properly look at Rin. Had he always been so muscular? Had he grown? Was that five o'clock shadow? 

Is this what growing up was? 

"I missed you," Ai whispered before he could stop himself. 

Rin closed his eyes. He leaned his head towards Ai. Ai curled up into him. He mumbled something against Ai's head which Ai didn't catch. 

"What, Senpai?" Ai looked up at Rin. 

Rin placed a kiss on Ai's lips. 

Ai instantly melted into it. He wrapped his arms tightly around Rin. Moaning when Rin slipped his tongue into his mouth. Ai slipped his hands under Rin's shirt. Feeling Rin's back muscles as he held him close. 

They spent most of the night kissing and talking. Forgetting that they had class in the morning. By the time it was almost four in the morning, Rin had to call it a night. The two laughed and whispered as they snuck back into the dorm halls. They said their goodbyes with a quick kiss. 

It was a new year. And Ai was prepared to share it with Rin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> like my poop filled mix full of songs nobody likes it's [gross](http://8tracks.com/witchy_alien/kiss-me)
> 
>  
> 
> ugh i'm at a writing block and life block. i need to study for lsats. like a human being. thank you for reading! have a beautiful day, night, afternoon, workday, school day, whatever. Just smile bunches and tell somebody you love that you love them (your dog, your best friend)


	31. Bad Hair Day

Ai fussed with his hair. Flipping it from front to back and side to side. Combing it, using as much mousse as possible to get every hair to lay flat. Only to have a nasty cow lick pop right back up. It was a hair disaster. It was as if his hair had smelled his fear through the overly processed products. And it only reacted by not cooperating with him. 

Earlier that week Rin had asked Ai out. Full out with a flower and everything. To make up for how busy he's been since swim season was in full swing. Ai instantly felt nervous. Knowing that he would be getting Rin's full attention.

But all that attention would be unwanted if his hair didn't look right. 

"Where are you going, Senpai?" Momo peeked over his place on the top bunk. 

Ai sighed, running his fingers through his hair until it was fluffy. A birds nest, he decided he looked like a birds nest. 

"Out for worms," he deadpanned. 

"Probably should've left earlier then," Momo didn't catch his sarcasm. "You got a date?" 

Blushing, Ai nodded. 

Momo's face instantly lit up. He jumped down from his bunk with a loud thump. "With who," a wild smile spread across his lips.

Seijuro probably hadn't told his brother about catching Ai and Rin kissing. Ai bit his lip to hide his smile. 

"Is she pretty?" Momo hovered next to Ai. Ai nodded. "What is she like?" 

Ai thought for a moment. It wouldn't hurt for Momo to think that he was dating someone. Even if he did think that someone was a girl. And totally not the captain of the swim team. 

"Well, they care a lot about their appearance. Really kind and sweet," Ai looked into the mirror. He traced over the beauty mark under his eye, "Always puts others first." He closed his eyes and brought his fingers to his lips, "Determined and fierce." 

It was always so easy to get lost when thinking about Rin. Ai snapped his eyes back open feeling embarrassment wash over. 

"So pretty!" Momo gushed. 

Ai went back to combing his hair down, "Which is why I have to look good for this."

"Well if she's as nice as you say she is then she'll like you no matter what, Senpai." 

Ai made eye contact with Momo in the mirror. He chuckled and nodded, "I think you're right."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> my hair only looks cute when i'm not going anywhere fun.
> 
> anyways it feels like it's been years. no kissies this chapter just ai being totally adorkable with momo. rin next. then date. where should the date be? i have trouble picking dates in real life (i always end up at a park or getting taco bell at midnight or ihop at 2am).


	32. Ponytail

Rin picked his hair up, holding it in a low ponytail. Then released it, letting it fall in front of his face. He blew air out, his bangs flipping up when he did so. Today was way too humid to try anything with his hair without it frizzing up. And even after he spent majority of the night conditioning and prepping it for today. And somehow his hair still decided to crinkle. 

Straightening wouldn't work. There was no way Rin was about to put heat on his hair in a mad rush to get ready for a date. Ugh! Why did he think that it was okay to go on a date on one of the most humid days of the year. The weather had already been hot and sticky. And with all the swimming, Rin had to spend extra time trying to protect his hair from any chlorine. 

Today was not starting off as a good day. 

Again, Rin picked his hair up. He decided to keep it that way. Tying a hair tie loosely around his ponytail, he let out a sigh. He could do a lot worse. That's what he assumed. 

Maybe he could make up for it by showing off a lot of muscle. Ai totally had a thing for muscles. He always complimented Rin when he wore tank tops or after a workout. So he would use that to his advantage. Wear something tight fitting. 

Rin squeezed his eyes shut and groaned. This was getting difficult. He didn't even know why he was so nervous. It was just Ai. 

Sousuke looked up from his book. He sat up, hand placed under his chin, suddenly curious about what exactly Rin was doing. 

"What's wrong?" Sousuke asked sounding genuinely concerned. 

"Everything!" Rin let out. He spun around to face his best friend, "Does my hair look okay?" 

"Usually when I ask what's wrong you respond with something that actually matters." 

Rin threw his hair brush at Sousuke. He stood up and went to the closet. Digging for anything to wear. Something to make up for not actually doing his hair. He pulled on a pair of skinny jeans, but still couldn't find the perfect shirt to wear. 

"Going out?" Sousuke asked knowing full well that Rin was. 

Rin pulled out a plaid button-up to look it over. He hung it back up and nodded, "With Ai." 

Sousuke hummed in understanding. Rin hadn't explicitly stated that he was with Ai. But Rin knew Sousuke could connect the dots. Late night phone calls, Rin slipping in and out of the room at night. The way Rin would ruffle Ai's hair and tease him. And of course the longing looks Rin didn't realize he was giving to Ai. 

"A date?" Sousuke asked anyways. 

Rin smiled, "Yeah. The last time we actually hung out was on the roof and he ended up getting sick after." Rin thought back to their rooftop date. Being able to stare up at the stars. Uninterrupted by real life. 

Ai had spent the next week sneezing and coughing. All while trying to disguise it as allergies around Rin. Who felt the need to treat Ai. Which was what this day was about. 

"I have to look my best," Rin pulled out another t-shirt. It had some indie band name on it. Definitely in the no pile. 

Sousuke walked up to Rin. He dug through the closet pulling out a plain black shirt and a plaid button-up. 

Rin held the clothes close to himself, "Thanks." 

He took a breath in an attempt to calm his nerves, "He's really amazing." 

"Yeah?" Sousuke sat back down on Rin's bed. 

Rin smiled at him, "I'm really excited." He blushed at his own words. 

Sousuke tossed Rin's brush back at him, "Oh, like he isn't either." 

"You think he's nervous too?" Rin sat down next to Sousuke. 

Sousuke nodded. Rin's smile widened. He pulled the shirt over his head in one swift motion. 

There was a knock on their door right before a shaky, "Rin-senpai," came out. 

"Why don't you just go have fun," Sousuke shooed Rin out. 

Rin pouted and mimicked Sousuke. He took one last look in the mirror to make sure that his hair was tightly secured. He pulled the door open. 

Ai stood before him. His hand was held out as though he were about to knock on the door once more. His smile bright and wide as he dropped that hand and looked up at Rin. 

"Hey," Ai giggled. 

"Hi," Rin sighed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i have so much hw im gonna die in a pile of essays


	33. Dates and Smooches

It wasn't anything too exciting or fancy for that matter. But Ai couldn't help but feel his stomach do flips as he sat on his bike. The bike that Rin so graciously rented for him. So they could cycle through the town until they ended up wherever Rin had planned. He looked up to Rin who was smiling and waiting for him to get ready to go. Letting out a nervous giggle, Ai peddled toward Rin and off they were.

It was fun. Riding through the city with Rin was exhilarating. Ai didn't know he could laugh so hard he could choke on a bug. Which only happened once. 

They ended up stopping in front of a shady restaurant. A place that made Ai shiver by looking at the street they were on. He looked around at the few people who staggered behind. He felt the sudden need to cling to Rin. But Rin just hopped off his bike and walked into the shop. 

Following, Ai ran in so fast he bumped into Rin's back. The person working behind the counter looked up and let out a boisterous laugh. 

"You're getting too tall, Rin." The man said. 

"Yo, Yamada! How've you been," Rin hopped onto a stool. 

Ai watched as they made idle chatter. He shifted from foot to foot before deciding to walk up. Rin's face brightened when he remembered Ai was there. Caught up with his old friend. 

"This is Yamada, an old family friend," Rin introduced. "Like really old," He joked which got him an insult right back at him. 

Rin pulled Ai into a side hug, "This is Nitori Aiichiro. He's my," Rin paused for a little too long. 

"Your mom told me, boy, don't give yourself an aneurysm." 

Rin let out a sigh that only Ai heard. They both sat down at the bar and watched Yamada fry up noodles and various vegetables. Rin whispered to Ai about nothing. Yamada seemed hyper-sensitive to the thought of Rin teasing him behind his back. And whenever Ai would laugh, Rin would smile at Yamada and joke with him. 

It was a nice and warm feeling. Being there with Rin was something that Ai didn't know that he needed. He was enjoying every second of it. And then the food was done, more people had walked in so Ai had Rin all to himself. 

"It's good right?" Rin bumped Ai's foot with his. 

Ai nodded. It was really good. Like the closest to a homemade meal he had in months. In no time Ai excitedly watched Yamada cook up okonomiyaki for another customer. The entire restaurant had a home feel to it. Which made Ai feel lightheaded. 

"Want dessert?" Ai didn't realize Rin was staring at him. 

Ai blushed at the close proximity. He could smell Rin's cologne. Strong and heavy, washing over his skin as he took all of Rin in. Ai dumbly nodded until Rin called for the check. 

"On me. Just don't expect it again," Yamada said. 

Ai bowed until Rin dragged him out. 

Hopping back onto their bikes, Ai followed Rin. They ended up at an ice-cream shop closer to the school.

"I thought you didn't like sweets," Ai asked Rin as he held the door open. 

"They're okay from this place," Rin ruffled his hair. 

Ai ordered green tea ice cream and Rin chose a table that out looked the street. Ai sat down with Rin and watched the people walk by. 

"You enjoying your day?" Rin asked. His eyes were still focused on the people walking. Arms crossed against his chest and a soft blush across his cheeks. 

"Yes," Ai licked at his ice-cream cone. 

He held the cone out to Rin who took a small lick. He made eye contact with Ai before covering his face with his hand. Ai giggled and asked about school. He already knew how it was going but it was safe ground. Ai had stopped feeling nervous, but Rin was obviously feeling it. After his ice-cream was done they still talked. Rin had lightened up enough to start joking with Ai. He made fun of Ai for being scared when they first stopped by Yamada's. Ai pouted, denying that he was. But Rin saw right through him and told him that he was scared the first time he went too. 

It was nice. Rin was opening up to Ai more about his past and childhood. And Ai opened up to Rin. Explained how he hadn't had a home-cooked meal since he was over at Rin's. Rin promised they would make something together next time. 

Looking out into the sunset, the two realized that they had to return the bikes. They hurried to the shop and dropped them off. Then walked back to the dorms. The fluorescent lights lit their way to their rooms. 

Pausing in front of Ai's dorm, Rin rubbed the back of his neck, "So." 

"So," Ai looked down to the floor. 

"I had fun," Rin rushed out.

Ai reached up to Rin. Standing up on his toes, he pulled him into a kiss. They let their lips linger. The only sound was the hallway clock ticking as the seconds passed by. 

Ai pulled apart and sighed, "I'll see you." 

Rin took a moment to regain his composure. He stuck his hands into his pockets, "Yeah. Night." 

Ai waited at the door for another kiss before going back inside his room. Smiling to himself, he wondered why he was so worried about what Rin thought of his hair in the first place. He was happy and content. Completely at peace as he crawled into bed. The memory of the kiss still fresh in his mind as drifted off to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> taking like 2-3 weeks to focus on school and cry.   
> you should totally follow me on twitter and listen to me cry @witchy_alien or on tumblr at unfortunate-lore
> 
> XOXO


	34. Nightmare

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ai has a nightmare

Ai pulled his blanket tighter around him. This was a bad idea. After waking up from a nightmare, Ai's first instinct was to call out for Rin. In his frightened state he ended bolting out of the room and ended up in front of Rin's door. 

He shifted from foot to foot, still unsure of whether to knock or not. He was still scared. Scared from his dream. Afraid for the future. The night was too quiet and he needed comforting. The type of comfort that only could be found in the arms of his boyfriend. The type of comfort and love that could easily put him to sleep. Making him feel safe and warm. 

Ai felt like he was intruding. He knew this was probably the most annoying thing he could do. Rin needed sleep. He didn't need Ai barging into his room like a small child scared by his own dreams. But he was scared. 

"You just gonna stand there?" Ai jumped at Sousuke's voice.

Jumping to the side, Ai bowed, "I'm so sorry!" He glanced up at Sousuke who was looking equally as drowsy with a bag from the convenience store in hand. He obviously didn't care that he was breaking curfew. 

Sousuke opened the door and was just about to turn around and leave when Sousuke spoke up. "You can come in," He mumbled.

Ai thanked him and stepped inside the small room. He watched Sousuke pull out two bottles of Pocket Sweat. He handed him one. Now Ai was feeling more like he was intruding. He looked over to Rin who was snoozing away. Exhausted from a day of school and swimming. As Ai and Sousuke should have been. 

"So, what brings you here?" Sousuke sat down in the desk chair. 

Ai looked down at his drink, fingers fiddling with the top, "Bad dream." 

Sousuke hummed. 

"What about you?" Ai tried to keep his voice in a whisper. 

"Couldn't sleep had to go for a run." 

Ai nodded. He looked over at Rin who had shifted and mumbled something incoherently in his sleep. 

"You can wake him up, you know?" Ai jumped at Sousuke's words. 

Looking down, Ai shrugged, "I shouldn't even be here." 

"But you are," Sousuke got up and climbed up to his bunk. 

Ai stared down at his drink, to the door, then back at Rin. He could leave or he could stay. He was still shaken from his bad dream. Slightly comforted by the company of Sousuke, but still wanting to be with Rin. 

"Who the heck are you talking to, Sousuke?" Rin groaned. 

"Your boyfriend." 

Rin sat up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. He looked to the clock the read one in the morning. And then looked up to Ai and smiled. 

"Hey," He reached his hand out. 

Ai set the bottle of Pocket Sweat down on the desk. Wrapping his blanket to sit securely around his shoulders, he walked over to Rin's bed. He sat down and wrapped his arms around Rin. Falling so easily into the warmth his body radiated. 

"What's up?" Rin yawned. 

"Bad dream," Ai said into Rin's chest. 

Rin pulled Ai under the covers with him. He let Ai cling to him. He let Ai whisper about how happy he was to have Rin there for him, comforting him when he needed it. How happy he was for Sousuke to let him into the room. And how happy he was to be with Rin. And how scared he was for everything to fall apart. 

"I got you," Rin kissed him and wrapped his arms tighter around him. "Just don't make this a habit." 

Ai could swear he heard Sousuke laughing above them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oh I feel so good! I hope you stay happy and healthy. I'm here if you need anything like a good laugh, yummy recipes, or to vent. Twitter is witchy_alien and writing tumblr is unfortunate-lore


	35. Fireworks

The days were hotter and the nights were just as warm. Summer was in the air. And that meant bugs Ai wanted absolutely nothing to do with. And sweet cold drinks. Balloons and trips to amusement parks, swimming, shorts! Ai loved summer. 

Even if this summer he was working extra hard to be on the relay for the team. He just wanted to do the best he could. And if that meant extra training then so be it. He would train extra hard not only to be on the team with Rin, but for himself. He wanted to prove he could be just as good. 

So he would train. Every night when everyone was asleep. He knew he was breaking the rules by being in the pool so late. And it was probably dangerous swimming by himself especially when exhausted. But he was just feeling so slow. He wanted to change. 

Ai was doing his usual workout, swimming his laps around the pool. Checking the time he saw it was almost midnight now. And he needed to sneak back into the room without being noticed. He jumped out of the pool and toweled himself down. Looking over to his bag, he noticed a drink and waiting for him. 

Smiling, he threw it into the bag. Once he was showered and in his room did he eat. He was thankful to Rin knowing full well that it was him that checked up on him. 

It took no time to fall asleep that night. 

The next weeks went the same. School, weather getting warmer, bugs, swimming, homework, more swimming, go to bed smiling. Because even with their busy schedules, Rin made Ai feel special. 

"Senpai!" Momo excitedly woke him up one morning. 

Ai groggily sat up, scratching his head. He didn't know how Momo could be so full of energy so early. 

Momo pushed a bouquet of flowers into his hands. 

Ai stared at them and then looked up to Momo, "I appreciate the sentiment, but is it necessary?" 

"They're not from me, Senpai," Momo laughed. 

Ai looked back down to the flowers in his hand. He realized there was a card sitting between the stems of the tulips. 

'10pm  
rooftop' 

Ai giggled and thanked Momo for delivering the message. Feeling energized, he got out of bed and hurriedly got dressed for the day. 

Because what a way to start a day. Ai was feeling good. He went to class then to swim practice. And later in the night instead of his usual nightly swim he got dressed for the night. He threw on a cute shirt with ducks on it and pulled on bright yellow knee shorts. Slipping on his shoes he waved a nosey Momo bye and went to the roof. 

Where he met up with Rin. Who was standing against the wall waiting for Ai. Ai took the moment to take all of Rin in. He looked so handsome with his hair pulled back. And Ai was always one to gawk, unintentionally, at his boyfriend's defined muscles. The way his shirt clung tightly to them. 

"Hey," Rin finally noticed Ai. 

Ai jumped at his voice and smiled, "Hi." 

Ai walked up to Rin and kissed him slowly. If there was anything better than looking at Rin it was this. Feeling his arms wrapped tightly around him. Feeling his lips, his tongue, his teeth. Feeling his smile against his lips. Laughing in an attempt to hide how shy he was feeling. 

Ai didn't have to say thank you for the times Rin left him food and drinks at his late night swim practice. They both knew that it was appreciated. But that didn't stop Ai from doing so. 

"You've worked hard," Rin said against his lips. 

Ai felt overwhelmed. Tears threatened to escape. He breathed in placing a kiss on Rin's lips.

"So, you just give me flowers and it makes this booty call classy?" Ai teased. 

Rin laughed, "It worked, didn't it?" 

Ai pretended to be offended. They laughed and continued to kiss. 

"I did bring you up here for something, though," Rin said between kisses. 

Ai looked up at him in confusion. 

Rin pointed to the bag next to them that Ai completely ignored. In it were fireworks of all types. 

"Thought since it's summer and all," Rin rubbed the back of his head. He was trying to hide the blush that spread across his cheeks. 

Excited, Ai dug through the bag. He came back up with sparklers. Grinning wide, he handed one to Rin. 

They spent the rest of the night burning sparklers and popping fireworks. Laughing and celebrating nothing in particular. Just the fresh summer air that surrounded them. And in between the fireworks, in between the kisses that they shared, they were there. Always there for each other. 

Ai licked his lips as he watched Rin laugh with a sparkler in his hand. So handsome, so beautiful. Ai could feel his heartbeat in his ears. It was the same feeling he got when they first kissed. Everything was warm and unsure. 

As the fire died down, Rin looked up at Ai. 

"I love you," Ai practically screamed. 

Eyes wide from realization of what he had just said, Ai covered his mouth. 

Rin stared at Ai. The sparkler finally burned out and he dropped it. He walked up to Ai, slowly. Wrapping his arms around Ai, he pulled him into a tight hug. 

"I love you too."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i just want them to hug and kiss for 30 years.  
> [twitter](https://twitter.com/witchy_alien)


	36. I love you. Now what?

Things were different, right? Or they were supposed to be. They had to be. Somebody didn't say "I love you" and not have it change everything. Rin's world should be completely turned upside down. The world should be covered in pink. His heart should be on his sleeve, well, more than it usually is. He should feel a lift in his step. People in love usually laugh more, right? 

The world was not pink. He felt exactly the same as he did the day before. 

And as he gave Ai a quick peck on the lips, he didn't feel his heart race. 

People usually feel light. He's read stories about being in love. Being with the one that you love. And he feels like he is. He is in love. So why doesn't he feel light and airy? 

Rin goes about his day. School, swim, homework, go for a run, go to bed. These long summer days are okay, he figures. And maybe that's just it. Everything is okay. For once in his life he feels like he is on the right track. And he is. 

So the following day, when he meets up with Ai, he brings it up. And Ai smiles at him. Telling him how great a thing that was. So Rin asked how he felt. 

Ai responds with, "I love Rin and he loves me. How couldn't I be happy!" 

Rin laughs and kisses him. Ai moans into the touch. And everything feels like a dream. Moving in slow motion. Everything is okay. And it kind of scares Rin. It excites him. 

Everything is falling into place. The world is not pink. But he is okay. 

For Ai, he feels light. He is walking on cloud nine. He is a ray of sunshine and joy. He works hard, trains harder, and is ready to better himself. 

Rin gives him quick morning kisses when they meet each other in the dorm hallways. He gets to tell Rin that he loves him every time he feels it (which is a lot). And Rin tells him how he feels. Which is a big jump from hiding everything just a year before. 

This is good. 

Ai feels good. 

Ai feels great. 

He is in love and Rin loves him back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i was going to write something sad but decided to stop here because good happy love feelings are cute. i'm trying to get this thing to 50 chapters then i'm gonna stop. it's a personal goal really. and i wanna focus on pearl tears because that fic is giving me a hard time.


	37. Legs

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rin loves Ai's legs

They were finally alone together. And Rin could feel his heart beat in his ears. He knew he was probably blushing and it was embarrassing as heck. But he knew Ai was blushing too and that meant that it was okay to be nervous. 

Ever since the initial "I love you," both of them had been a little awkward. But with some talking through and after going about their day they realized that it really didn't change much. They knew how they felt with each other. And now they could openly discuss those emotions. 

Or kiss more. 

Because that's what they ended up doing one Sunday night. 

They had the entire day to themselves. And all of their competitions were coming up so this day was a much needed stress reliever. As was now, tangled up in each other. 

Sousuke had been kind enough to slip out of the room (and probably into Ai's room) for the day. Ai thanked him profusely. Which he shrugged off and said not to make a mess. A loud Momo excited about spending the day and night with his Senpai. 

Rin was forever grateful for his best friend. He kissed Ai on the cheek, snuggling up closer to him under the covers. 

They had spent most of the day doing homework and ranting about music and comic books. Something Ai was obsessed with. He was disappointed when he didn't have his hidden comic book collection near him. Something he apparently valued more dearly than his porn magazine collection. 

Rin kissed down Ai's bare chest. The only thing lighting the room was the moon which shone through the open window. The summer breeze, gentle, as Ai let out a breathy moan. 

Rin lifted himself up to get a better view of Ai. He lay breathless before him. Sighing, and moaning out his name. He let out a small giggle as he looked up at Rin. 

"Hi," Ai said, all airy and bright. 

Rin kissed his bellybutton, "Hey." 

He kissed down to his thighs. Ai wrapped his legs around Rin's shoulders. He panted and groaned when Rin sucked at his skin. Rin felt the blankets around him slip off of his shoulders as he played with Ai's legs. Kissing and sucking as he pleased. Earning all the right noises from him. 

"You're so pretty," Rin kissed at his ankles. 

Ai smiled up at him and giggled at the touch. "You're pretty," He mumbled back. 

Rin smiled, lips against his skin. He licked all the way up Ai's leg. And then placed soft, butterfly kisses against his stomach and chest. He moved up slowly. Kissing at Ai's neck and cheeks. Ai gave him a big, warm, sloppy kiss on the lips. 

Rin fell into the touch with a groan. Laughing as Ai pulled him tighter into his touch. 

"I love you," Rin said between kisses. 

Which Ai rewarded him with soft, warm kisses across his forehead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rin having a thing for Ai's legs though... and yeah... if you wanna see anything just message me on tumblr at [alien-girl-feeny](http://alien-girl-feeny.tumblr.com)


	38. Nervous

Ai was so happy. He bounced up and down in his hotel room, completely unable to stay still. He had almost as much energy as Momo who had knocked out already. He looked at the clock and it was eleven. He had to be awake at seven to prepare for the competition. His excitement died down a little. 

He laid down in bed and closed his eyes. Figuring it wouldn't take long to fall asleep. But only having his excitement bubble back up inside of him. He flipped and turned in bed for a good while before finally sitting back up. 

Reaching for his phone he sent Rin a quick text. Getting a 'Go to sleep' in return. 

Smiling, he wrote back, 'But I can't.'

'Hallway.'

Ai giggled. He snuck out of his room and into the dimly lit hallway. Rin, who was in the room next to him, came out at the same time. 

"Nervous?" 

Ai nodded and walked up to him. He pushed him against the wall, slowly bringing his hands to Rin's face. Rin wrapped his arms around Ai's waist. Rin let out an airy laugh as he pulled Ai closer to him, kissing him. 

"You're going to do great," Rin said between kisses, "We're going to do great." 

Ai smiled and let Rin turn them around so that he was the one against the wall, "You're not worried?"

Rin lifted him off of the ground and Ai wrapped his legs around Rin. Rin kissed his neck, making sure not to leave a mark. 

"You know," Ai wrapped his arms tighter around Rin, "being nervous is a sign that you care." 

Rin stared straight at him, "That's crap advice." 

"You're a crap kisser," Ai teased, no seriousness in his voice at all. 

"I can drop you right now," Rin's grip on Ai's hips tightened. 

Ai kissed him, feeling Rin push him further against the wall, "You won't." 

Rin let go, making Ai panic, only to catch him immediately after. Both laughing, trying to stay quiet so they wouldn't get into trouble. 

Rin kissed the pout off of Ai's face. And Ai opened his mouth to deepen the kiss. Rin licked into his mouth, greedy in his actions as he gripped onto Ai's sides. Ai's body felt warm and was finally feeling tired. 

Rin yawned and that's when they pulled apart to go back to their rooms. They kissed and Ai watched Rin step into his room. 

Ai walked the short distance to his door. The smile on his face dropped as he remembered he forgot the key.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Momo let him in probably. but imagine nervous ai being all "i want kissies to chill out" and rin being all yeaaaah


	39. Miss You

Rin was gone for an entire week. And Ai realized he would have to deal with missing him because after graduation this was what their life would be. Ai patiently making his way through school while Rin was in Australia learning and training from the best. 

He didn't tell Ai what he had planned. All Ai knew was that he was going to Australia for the break and he'd call him if he needed anything. But Ai knew he wouldn't need anything. 

But now, after the break, he patiently awaited his arrival. Ai had entertained himself with training, video games, and friends. But he finally felt nervous knowing Rin would come back home to him. 

And when he did, it was in front of a crowd. He couldn't yet pounce on him and show his joy. He could only share a few words to Rin. So he waited. And he waited. Until Rin was back in his hotel, unpacking. 

Ai knocked on the opened door. Rin looked up from his pile of clothes. 

"What's up?" Rin nodded at him. 

Ai bounded forward. Jumping and wrapping his legs around Rin's torso. Rin laughed and hugged him back. He held Ai close, rubbing his face against his neck. 

"I missed you," Ai whispered. 

He could feel Rin smile against his skin. Rin kissed his collarbone all the way up to his lips. 

Ai looked down at him, "You missed me?" He kissed Rin. 

Rin nodded, rubbing his nose against Ai's. Their eyelashes brushed against each other. Ai fluttered his, adding to the sensation. He giggled at the feeling. 

"You're so cute," Rin placed a big sloppy kiss on his lips. 

Ai wrapped his arms tighter around Rin. Lost in the kiss. Because this was the now. And those thoughts about missing Rin could be put off for a little bit more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sleeeeeepy. next is self indulgent nonsense.. haha. this entire thing is self indulgent


	40. Faint

Swim was over so that meant focusing on school work. Rin had nominated Ai as captain of the swim team now and that meant he should not only focus on school, but the club as well. He had to push extra hours in the gym to equal the extra hours Rin spent studying for his classes. Since Rin was already set for training in Australia, he wasn't too concerned with his studies. But that didn't mean Ai had any room for slacking. 

Ai had to practice extra hard to show the team he was worth being captain. Especially for when summer competition time rolled around. And he had to make sure his grades were worth showing off. Something he had struggled with. 

Ai had to work three times as hard as he originally was to prove himself to everyone else. Which got exhausting. Absolutely tiring. To the point where he wanted to give up. But he couldn't because everyone believed he could do it. 

He worked himself to exhaustion. Running in the morning, school, swimming in the afternoon, homework and studying at night. Sometimes he'd run with Rin. Other times he'd swim or go to the gym with Sousuke. But most nights were spent studying in his room with Momo. 

They were both too through with books by now. And they both lacked the needed concentration for studying more than an hour. Momo would usually go off into his beetle collection, and Ai would rather read a magazine. 

So when Momo finally gave up studying to lay down, Ai didn't speak much of it. He was way too tired to care. And his head kind of hurt. Actually, he wasn't sure when the last time he ate was. 

Ai stood up and offered to get them drinks. He felt dizzy, probably from standing a little too fast. And he left the room, smiling. He barely made it out of the room before he felt dizzy again. Ai listened to the door click shut behind him before walking down the hall. 

'Oh. Did the hallway always seem so narrow?' He thought to himself. 

Because the walls around him were closing in and it was getting harder to breath. And Ai was just so tired. His body ached, and his head pounded in his ears. Ai collapsed. 

He woke up to Momo crying over him. Dazed, he looked up and gave a week smile. 

"Senpai!" Momo cried, "I'm so happy you're okay." 

Ai blushed, feeling embarrassed for fainting. He looked down at the bed and instantly realized that this wasn't his room. It was Rin's. 

Sousuke got down from his top bunk to check Ai over. He gave a relieved sigh and grimaced, "You need to take better care of yourself." 

Ai laughed to himself and nodded, "I do." 

Rin walked into the room with a bottle of water in hand. He hesitated in the doorway. Momo and Sousuke quietly stepped out of the room. Well, more like Sousuke had to drag Momo out of the room by his ear for not cooperating to leave with him. 

Rin remained at the doorway until Ai waved him over. Ai didn't try to smile with Rin. He would understand. 

And he did. 

Rin sat down and opened the water bottle for him. He helped Ai sit up to properly drink it. And from his pocket he pulled out an energy bar. Which he sat in silence while Ai ate it. 

"Thank you," Ai kissed Rin's cheek. 

Rin placed his hand on Ai's cheek. His face scrunched up as though he were fighting the tears that tempted to come out. Ai watched as Rin took a moment to collect himself before looking directly at him. 

"I love you," Rin almost whispered. His voice came out too shaky and raspy to be a proper whisper. It was rushed and a little uncertain. 

Ai kissed the palm of Rin's hand, "I love you too." He said with more certainty. 

"You scared me," Rin squeezed his eyes shut. 

Ai closed his with Rin's. 

Rin wrapped his arms tightly around Ai. Pushing him back down onto the bed, Rin straddled him. Ai allowed him to squeeze him tight. 

"I'm fine," Ai told Rin. 

"Fine isn't fainting," Rin reprimanded, but the threat was lost in the sniffle that followed. 

Ai felt tears in his own eyes. He gripped onto Rin's shirt a little tighter. Kissing Rin's ear and neck. Rin did the same to him. 

It took only a moment until Ai was sobbing, "I'm not fine." Because he wasn't. He was stressed, and he hurt, and he didn't feel good enough. For anyone. For Rin, for his friends, for the team, for his teachers, for himself. 

Rin kissed him on the forehead. He let Ai cry it all out until he was falling asleep again. Making Ai drink more water, Rin kissed his cheek. 

"I love you," Ai kissed Rin. 

His throat hurt from crying. But he was feeling better. Completely distressed now that he let all of his emotions out. And he had Rin to thank. 

Rin kissed each of his now swollen eyelids. He kissed down Ai's nose and on his cheeks. He kissed Ai's ears and throat and collarbone. And then he kissed Ai's lips, soft and sweet. Just to let Ai know that he loved him too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> uhhhh. 40 chapters in and im still making crap up. culture festival bc ai in a maid outfit is irresistible is probably next! feel free to follow on tumblr ([here](http://alien-girl-feeny.tumblr.com/) ) if u wanna see me cry over dumb stuff


	41. Maid

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> obligatory maid costume

Ai was cute. No he was adorable. No he was absolutely breathtaking. From his bright red Mary Jane's up to his frilly headband. Ai was a flustered ball of excitement as he got ready for the annual swim club's maid cafe. 

Rin sat back comfortably in his butler outfit. Reminiscing about his year spent as the lost maid. He shudders at the memory. Wearing dresses was not something he was suited for. He just ended up feeling uncomfortable and vulnerable. And like a complete joke. 

But Ai, well he could easily pull it off. The way he moved in the dress so comfortably. Already knowing how to tie his bow and the uneasy laugh he let out when Rin smiled at him just made him cuter. 

"What do you want, Senpai?" Ai finally caught Rin alone. He was a little agitated, slightly huffy from running about. 

The bustling of the other members just background noise as they prepared for the festival. A long a grueling weekend ahead of all of them. But just looking at Ai now was enough to survive the crowds of people Rin would inevitably face. 

"What do you mean what?" Rin teased. 

Ai glared at him and turned around to go back to what he should be doing. His dress twirled with him and Rin caught the slight blush in his cheeks. Rin barely touched Ai's arm, but it made Ai stop in his tracks. 

"You've been staring at me all morning," Ai whispered. He tried to hide his blushing face from Rin, but Rin could still see it. 

Cute. 

Rin looked around before pulling Ai closer to him behind the curtain. He held Ai close, kissing him on the cheek. Ai turned around and shyly smiled up at him. Ai had to stand up on his toes to give Rin a proper kiss. 

It made Rin's heart flutter. 

Rin cupped Ai's face in his hands. Ai squeezed his eyes shut, but relaxed at the soothing touch. Rin dragged his hands down Ai's neck and to his shoulders. Dropping down to his arms and then his waist.

"You're just so cute," Rin kissed the top of his head, careful not to disrupt the placement of his headband. 

Ai fixed it anyway. Always the little perfectionist trying to impress. Ai huffed and crossed his arms at a failed attempt of acting not cute. 

"I look like a joke," Ai rolled his eyes. 

"Ai," Rin placed a hand on Ai's elbow, "you look fine." Too fine, actually. So fine Rin could hardly concentrate on his actual work.   
"I look like a joke. Who wears these anymore?" Ai tugged at the ends of his dress. 

Rin kissed his cheek. Because Ai looked adorable. He could pass, easily, as a total androgynous model showcasing roleplay costumes. His boyish figure alongside his slight feminine features like his soft face made Rin blush. 

He looked away, eyes focused on the curtain that shielded them. He looked back to Ai, whose eyes were wide, staring up at him. 

"You're not a joke," Rin told him, "You look adorable, handsome even." He could feel the blush rise beyond his cheeks, heating his entire face and neck. 

Ai smiled at Rin, glancing back to make sure the curtain still hid them. He stood on his toes, wrapping his arms around Rin's shoulders, "Do I look pretty?" Ai whispered against Rin's lips. 

Rin gulped and nodded, slowly. Sucking in air he desperately needed, not knowing he held any in. He felt Ai gently placed their lips together. 

"Like a girl?" Ai whispered again. This time a little quieter.

Rin ran the back of his hand against Ai's cheek, "If that's what you want." He kissed Ai again. 

Ai smiled against his lips, bringing Rin into a deeper kiss. 

They pulled away when the curtain slid open, Momo on the other side. "Senpai, they're looking for you," He called out to Ai. 

With a final wave, Rin let Ai go.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i like ai in dresses as seen (both nsfw) [here](https://archiveofourown.org/works/2588927) and [here](http://archiveofourown.org/works/2655068/chapters/5932532)
> 
> im a mess. just a few more chapters left. idk. what more can these 2 do?


	42. Swings

This was probably their five-hundredth kiss. 

Ai hesitated for a split second before giving Rin his usual good morning kiss. Rin frowned as he watched Ai walk away. These past few days Ai had been quiet. His smiles were forced and he would stop in the middle of conversation. Just blank out on him and stare off into space. Completely not like the normal happy, nervous, giggly Ai he was used to. 

Rin sighed and headed to his class. He understood where Ai was coming from. It was coming up on the date of Ai's mom's death. And even though Ai wouldn't admit to it, Rin knew he wasn't feeling well. So Rin let him be. 

But the way that Ai forced himself to smile was starting to hurt Rin. He couldn't stand to watch Ai fall apart right in front of him. So he just stood by in silence. Letting him kiss him and then run off. Letting him zone out as Rin came up with conversation. 

So Rin decided that he would try and help. And that meant taking him out for a date. They didn't have any real money or means to go out. But Rin felt like treating him would be better than nothing. 

After class Rin stood anxiously by Ai's classroom door. Ai almost walked past him, huddled, laughing between his group of friends. Ai glanced up and excused himself to Rin. He gave Rin a small smile and waved a goodbye to his friends. 

"Let's go," Rin grabbed his hand once he made sure that the halls were quieted down. 

Ai followed quietly behind him. Rin had no idea where to take him. They wandered around aimlessly before Ai had stopped them in front of a playground. 

The nights were already getting colder and the nights were coming quicker. The sun was already going down as Ai dragged him over to the empty swing set. 

They both sat down. Rin kicked at the dirt beneath and watched as it bunched under his feet. Ai kicked his feet to propel himself. Rin turned to Ai, watching him swing as the night grew colder and darker. 

Ai stopped once the sun had completely disappeared. The only light out now were the street lamps that surrounded the park. He looked around, almost unsure. And then focused on Rin. 

Rin reached his hand out and Ai grabbed it. Ai stood up and walked the short distance over to Rin and sat down on his lap. It was hard, keeping them both upright on the rickety swing. Rin held onto the swing with one hand and Ai with the other. Ai sat, facing him, holding Rin close. 

"I'm sorry I've been so weird," Ai sighed into his mouth. 

Rin kissed him, slowly slipping his tongue between his lips, "Don't apologize." Rin had stopped swinging. Instead focusing on balancing the two on the creaky metal. 

Ai hugs him closer, kissing Rin's neck. Rin can feel him shiver against him. Rin pulls him into his jacket. It really isn't the warmest thing to wear but at least it covers Ai's bare arms. It took Rin a moment to realize that Ai wasn't shivering. 

He let Ai cry into his chest. Ai's shook on his lap as he let out all of his tears. It wasn't until Ai's loud sobs drizzled down to a sniffle that Ai felt any of the cold. He helped pull the sleeves of Rin's jacket up onto his shoulders. 

"You okay?" Rin whispered into Ai's hair. 

Ai shook his head. 

And Rin understood that he wouldn't be okay. But the fact that he could confide in him when all else seemed at a loss made Rin's heart flutter. Because he could keep Ai safe. Maybe not from this exact feeling, but from feeling so alone. He could hurt with Ai together. Because Ai trusted him in such a way. 

Rin kissed Ai's forehead for the five-hundredth-and-second time. Ai picked his head up. He gave Rin a small, real smile and leaned in for a kiss. Ai didn't hesitate.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> im sorry. i was out of town then i got sad and i'm still sad and just ugh. here. have sad swinging and crying because why not.


	43. Condoms

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ai finds condoms in Rin's drawers

Ai had a headache. Like, the worst kind of migraine that also felt as if his brain had decided to pop out through a crack in his skull. It was awful. And he was stuck with a pile of homework he probably should have completed a week ago, and an overly excited Momo. 

This was the worst combination. 

Momo jumped down from his bunk, impossibly loud. And he seemed to yell out that he was going to go out with friends. Mainly because he had finished his homework on time, unlike his unorganized senpai. Ai gladly waved him off and plopped his head onto his desk. His head still hurt even though the noise level had gone down some. In a way it felt sort of lonely to not have Momo around. Plus he couldn't use him as an excuse for not getting his homework done.

But that didn't stop his head from hurting. He gritted his teeth and drank more water. He needed medicine for this in order to get through the night he had ahead of him. Medicine he knew Rin had. 

Smiling, Ai left his room to go visit Rin. That smile dropped when Sousuke opened the door and just stared down at him in a state of drowsy confusion. 

"Rin's not here," Sousuke finally said. 

"Oh," Ai couldn't help peeking behind him, "well, I just wanted medicine. I know where he keeps it." 

Sousuke let him in and went back to his afternoon nap. Something Ai would apologize for in the near future with gifts or something of the like. 

Ai went to Rin's desk. Clearly remembering that he had pain relievers that he rarely used in his top drawer. He opened it up and upon what he saw, he immediately shut it. Ai slowly opened up the drawer again and stared down at the small box that clearly read 'Condoms' on it. Scanning over the box, he saw different words like 'lubricated' and 'stimulation' on it. 

Ai suddenly felt like he could handle the headache. He shut the desk drawer with a slam. 

"You alright?" Sousuke leaned over his bunk to check on Ai. 

Nodding, Ai thanked Sousuke and just walked out the room. Trying to make is leave as casual as possible. 

Ai managed to slip into his room before he went into total overdrive mode. Because, okay, that was a little extreme to see. And yeah he and Rin had talked about 'that' but knowing that was there now added pressure. 

It wasn't pressure as in he didn't want to. 

Just that he was nervous. Really nervous. Ai had thought it over plenty of times now. And, apparently, so had Rin. 

He sat impatiently at his desk before deciding to get back to his homework. Thanking his past self for leaving such a wonderful distraction of homework to do. 

By the time Momo had gotten back, Ai had finally finished his homework. 

"Look who I brought?" Momo announced. 

Ai looked up to smile and was caught off guard by Rin standing in front of him. They had, as Momo explained, ran into each other at the mall and decided to pick up dinner together. Rin placed down a bag onto Ai's messy desk. Food for him. Ai couldn't help but giggle in a strange attempt at hiding his nervousness. 

Rin leaned down to kiss Ai's forehead making him blush. Momo gasped and crowded around them. 

"That was so open, Senpai!" Ai looked over to Momo and saw that he was blushing. 

Rin flicked Momo's forehead and laughed, obviously embarrassed. He turned back to Ai and smiled, "You want to go for a walk or something?" 

Ai looked down at his completed homework and realized he hadn't been outside all day. Nodding, he waved a quick bye to Momo and slipped on some shoes. 

Rin walked them to the staircase that led them to the roof. Ai felt his heart flutter. The last time they were up on the roof they had confessed their love for one another. That was right before they got caught and yelled at for making such noise in the middle of the night. They ended up having to clean the dorm bathrooms for a month straight. But at least they were doing it together. 

Now that they were back on the roof, Ai felt a sense of déjà vu. He followed Rin to the ledge and looked down. Looking back up at Rin he saw that Rin was staring back at him. 

"Did you even eat today?" Rin smiled. 

And Ai realized that he hadn't, "Just didn't find the time." 

Rin laughed, "Good think I brought you dinner then, huh?" 

"You think you deserve a kiss for that?" Ai snapped. And okay, he would be the first to admit that was a little overboard. But he was feeling a little tired, a little anxious, and he was starving. 

Rin dropped his smile. 

Ai stared straight up at Rin. Because he was feeling a little energized from the fresh air of the night had to offer. And he was a little more than upset about finding that box in his drawer. Especially after they had discussed that they would wait. Now it just felt as if it was expected of him. Not cool at all. 

"You okay?" Ai scoffed at Rin's question. To which Rin held his hands up in defeat. He walked up to Ai, placing his hands onto Ai's shoulders, "You worked very hard today." 

Ai pouted. He felt the blush spread across his cheeks. Because Rin somehow made all that frustration he felt before vanish. 

"You're still not getting a kiss," Ai whispered. 

Rin nodded, "I just wanted to see you." 

They stayed silent. Both deciding to look over the roof again. Staring down at the school below them. It wasn't a busy night, but people were still wandering out and about. 

Ai shifted from foot to foot. He couldn't hold it in anymore. His anxiety took over, "I opened your top drawer," he bowed. 

Rin froze, eyes wide. 

"I'm so sorry, Rin! But I saw what you had in there and I'm really nervous to say that I am really scared about doing that. Like, maybe in the future, yeah, but not now. And I understand being prepared and all that, but I don't like all this pressure," Ai finished his rant. 

It was quiet. And then Rin burst out laughing. 

Ai glared up at Rin making him immediately stop. His laugh brought down to a chuckle. 

"I'm sorry," Rin had to put a hand on his mouth to hide his laughter. He blushed, his brow furrowing a bit and said, "My mom gave me those!" 

Ai blushed along with him, "W-what?" 

Rin let out a frustrated groan, "She's always embarrassing me!" 

"Your mom," Ai processed everything slowly, "she gave you those?" 

"I'm so sorry you had to see them. It's so weird," Rin dragged his hands down his face, "you weren't there to witness the talk she had with me too. It was horrifying." 

Ai burst out laughing. Because while he was stressing out over nothing, so was Rin. And he couldn't stop laughing because this entire situation was just hilarious at the time. Maybe it was all the homework. Or maybe it was all his anxiety finally leaving his body. But whatever it was, Ai couldn't contain it any longer. 

It didn't take long for Rin to follow suit. He was laughing just as hard as Ai was. They stood on the roof, laughing, for much longer than needed. 

It felt good. Ai felt good. 

He wiped a stray tear from his eye and smiled up at Rin. "Your mom is so weird," He wrapped his arms around Rin's shoulders. 

Rin laughed, wrapping his arms around Ai's waist, "But I love her." 

Ai smiled at Rin's honesty. Together they swayed side to side, still laughing. Or at least trying their best not to. 

"I love you," Ai said against Rin's lips. Not entirely sure when they got so close together. 

Rin slowly kissed Ai's lips. A part of Ai felt a little self-conscious that his lips were more than a little chapped, but Rin didn't seem to care. 

"I love you too," Rin said in between kisses. 

They pulled apart and giggled. Ai pulled Rin into a tight hug, thinking that this was where he was meant to be. His headache was down to a simple throb, nothing too painful. And he was able to see and laugh with Rin. His day was made. 

Pulling away from the hug Rin looked down at him, raising his eyebrows, "You wanna go back to my place or what?" He joked. 

Ai shoved him away, laughing, "Next time." 

Which made Rin stop functioning properly. Both of them were blushing at this point, but Rin's face could light up the night sky. 

Ai swallowed his own saliva, "I'm kidding," He laughed. 

And Rin, hesitantly, laughed with him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> aggressively writes rinai first time bc boy would that be a bunch of awkward crying and laughing.
> 
> sorry for the long wait. i had the sads and couldn't get out of the funk. but i am out and alive and ready to fight like a tree (a small one)


	44. Chapter 44

Rin had everything already set up to leave to Australia once he graduated. This was making reaching his dream a reality. He was excited and happy. But that didn't help the nerves as he finally set up all that was needed to properly move. And since all of his close friends knew he was leaving after graduation, he didn't need to tell them anything. 

Although, a part of him was sad about leaving everyone. But that was okay because he could still talk to them. He wasn't going to have a repeat of the last time he left. And this time he had Ai to think about too. He wasn't going to just leave him behind. 

Excited, he practically ran to Ai's room. Ai groggily opened the door. Rin woke him up from a nap. Rin laughed at him and pulled him into a hug. 

"It's really happening," Rin closed the door behind them. Luckily Ai was alone in the room. 

Ai, in his sleepy stupor, looked around, "What's happening?" 

"All of my flights and living expenses are done and accounted for! It's all going to happen for real," Rin hugged Ai tighter. 

Ai looked up at him and smiled, soft and sweet. "I'm happy for you, Rin," He cupped Rin's face in his hands. 

Rin settled his hands on Ai's waist. He bent down to give Ai a quick kiss. While his boyfriend was distracted, he picked him up and spun them around. 

Ai screamed with laughter and held onto Rin. 

Rin steadied them both and Ai dropped back to the floor. They both laughed. Rin could feel Ai's breath warm against his lips as they rubbed their noses together in an Eskimo kiss. 

Ai pushed his lips against Rin's lips. And Rin felt the nerves he originally had slip away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this was originally gonna be them slow dancing but then this came out. maybe slow dancing next time.   
> XOXO


	45. Maybe

Rin was going to graduate. He was going to graduate and had left Ai in charge of the entire team. Rin trusted Ai that much. 

Ai felt happy. In every sense of the word. He would make Rin's decision a good one. 

But at the same time Ai felt rushed. He wanted to spend time with Rin, as much as possible. He wanted to kiss him until they couldn't breathe. Wanted to sleep curled up next to him, his warm body pressed against him working as a heater. Ai wanted to go on more dates, spend actual physical time with Rin. 

Soon Rin would be gone in another country. Doing his own thing. Meeting people and achieving dreams Ai knew Rin was meant to achieve. He was proud for him. He was proud of him. 

It was bittersweet. 

They made plans the night before graduation. Rin wanted to spend time with Ai. They went out for ice-cream, even though it was still cold outside. 

Ai tugged on the sleeves of his jacket. They had been together for over a year. Such a long time to their minds. But such a short time compared to the world ahead.

"When do you leave?" Ai asked even though he knew the answer. 

"Not until May," Rin finished his ice-cream, "so we still have plenty of time."

A month felt like such a short amount of time. 

Rin was growing and so was Ai. They had the world ahead of them. Ai was excited to grow with him. That would prove difficult if they were a sea away from each other. 

"Do you have plans for after graduation?" Rin stared down into his empty ice-cream cup. 

Ai shook his head. 

"You should start thinking of something. Who knows," Rin was blushing, "maybe you can go to Australia with me."

It was an invite. 

"Maybe I will," Ai smiled. 

Rin looked up at him, only to look away again, "I'd like that."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you for your patience. lots of stuff came up and got distracted with like life and junk.


	46. Goodbye

Everything seemed to be going so fast. Ai found that he could only hide from time for so long before he had to face the inevitable reality that Rin was leaving. It wasn't for good, that was already established. But he had never thought about being away from Rin for such a long amount of time. The offer Rin hinted to weeks before still weighed in his mind. But there was still the underlying truth that he couldn't blindly follow Rin like that. It would take time. 

He was standing in front of Rin's house, ready to knock on the door. Ready to see Rin off. He wanted to show Rin his brightest smiling face. Maybe even kiss him really big right on the lips. Make more promises to write letters and video chat. Promise to work hard for the future. 

Ai placed his hand on the door. This would be the last time he saw Rin in person for he wasn't sure how long. But he had to do this. Not only for Rin, but for himself. He just had to. 

"Weren't you going to knock?" Sousuke came up behind him, startling Ai. 

Ai knocked loud and clear. 

Rin's mom opened the door and smiled at the boys. She called for Rin who excitedly ran out to greet them. He pulled them inside so they could all have breakfast together. 

Ai could only smile at Rin's excitement. 

He took off his shoes and was about to follow Rin when Sousuke stopped him, "You okay?" 

Ai nodded, fearful that if he spoke he would start to tear up. And that could wait until after Rin left. 

"I'm happy you guys were able to make it," Gou hugged them both as they sat down. 

Rin was babbling nervously on about nothing in particular as they dined on their traditional Japanese meal. It would be the last time he ate at home for months so Ai figured he was getting his fill. 

"Russell and Lori are letting me stay with them the first two nights since I don't actually have a room set up yet. But it gives me time to relax before the real training starts," Rin ranted. 

Ai hung onto every word out of his mouth. Paying close attention the way his lips moved between talking and eating. Smiling when he felt Rin's foot rub up against his. 

He was okay. 

After breakfast they all helped to clean up and then they were going to wave Rin off to the airport where he would be gone for an indefinite amount of time. He watched Rin say his goodbye to Sousuke. And then turn to him. 

Sousuke started a conversation with Gou and their mom to give Rin and Ai time. Ai wanted more time. It was a childish thought that passed through in a selfish flicker. 

"I should be able to video chat you later tonight," Ai closed his eyes as Rin put his hand on his cheek. 

There was the soft hum of the car engine waiting for Rin. And the chatter between Sousuke and Gou going on. The sun was fully up now and everything around them was going on with its day. Everything was moving too fast. 

When Ai opened his eyes Rin had leaned towards him. Expectantly, Ai closed his eyes again as Rin kissed his lips. Long and hard in front of his family. 

Sousuke let out a low whistle which Rin pulled away from the kiss to yell at him for. Ai laughed and kissed him again. 

"Let's not say goodbye," Ai said just low enough so only Rin could hear. 

"If only," Rin said against his lips. 

They kissed again and Ai thought back to the time in their dorm room when they shared their first kiss. And now they were here, dating, and getting ready to grow together while apart. 

"Be safe," Ai waved Rin off. 

He got into the car and Ai stood with Sousuke until it was completely out of site. 

After a long moment of silence Sousuke cleared his throat, "You alright?" 

Ai didn't realize he was crying until he heard the concern in Sousuke's voice. He wiped his eyes and let out a broken, "Yeah." He smiled sincerely, excited for Rin, happy to be a part of this journey with him. 

Sousuke ruffled his hair, "I'll miss him too." 

He looked to Rin's best friend, his friend, and with more confidence said, "He'll do great."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> woo. i got sick for the second time in a month. that wasn't fun.


	47. video chat

Ai tapped at the keyboard, impatiently waiting for Rin to log on so that they could talk. Their talks were getting fewer as the weeks went on. Ai started his last year of high school, and Rin had began his training. They talked when they had the time and had taken accustom to emailing each other's schedules so that they could figure out a time to even talk. 

Today, especially, Ai wanted to talk. He was so excited to share even the smallest of details in his life like the perfect score he got on his English test. And how he got one of the new guys on the team to improve his swim time by a whole two seconds. 

Ai was buzzing with energy, mindlessly scrolling through various videos that caught his eye but couldn't hold his attention. He let out a sigh of relief he didn't know he was holding in when he saw Rin's name light up on green to the side. 

Rin was the first to message him asking if he was free to video. 

Ai, excited, fixed his hair and made sure that his roommate was asleep (Momo was snoring away on the top bunk luckily). Rin called and Ai set his rushed panic aside to answer. 

Fuzzy, Rin's face came into focus through crappy dorm internet service and an ocean apart. It was lagged, it always was the first few minutes. But Rin could never help talking right away. Ai found they were alike in that category. A little too energetic for the late hours of the night to share their week with each other. 

They talked for what felt like minutes but turned out to be an hour. Ai checked to time and chided Rin for talking when he had to be up so early the next day. Rin only laughed and did the same. 

"You wanted to go jogging in the morning," Rin reminded him. Ai looked away knowing perfectly well how guilty he was for wanting to talk to Rin. 

"So I guess that's goodnight then," Ai whispered, still keeping his voice down because of the time. 

Rin did the same, leaning forward, "Yeah. I'll send you my schedule for the next two weeks when I get it." 

Ai nodded, "Well then," he looked around as if somebody would see then kissed the screen. "Good night."

Rin blushed and hid his face with his hand, "Crap, why do you have to be so cute?"

Ai giggled at Rin all embarrassed and shy. 

"I'll email you," Rin stuttered out. 

"Okay, goodnight." Ai blew kiss. 

Rin paused for a second, and then blew a kiss back before hanging up. 

Cute.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> two in a week. yikes. 3 more then i'm done and just gonna write a super porny after.
> 
> buuuut. what should be the next chapter? i have noooooo idea.


	48. Chapter 48

Ai was overwhelmed with papers, the swim team, competition, university applications. He was tired and frustrated and every negative emotion one could think up in such a little amount of time. He just wanted to pass out, and honestly he was about to drop any minute now. Everything was so much more tiring his senior year. 

Wake up, jog, school, swim club, study, break, study, maybe get to bed before three in the morning. It was a routine Ai's body was catching up with fast. He wanted a break. A break that was ̶

Ringing broke through Ai's headphones. Momo was still out so that meant he could answer without interruption (even if Rin enjoyed the attention he wanted some too!). Ai was quick to answer the video chat. 

"Hi," He said, all rushed and nervous. The lack of sleep was making him shaky in the oddest situations. He should probably make this a short call. 

"Hey," Rin whispered. He probably had people in the room with him. "How was your day, cutie?" 

Ai giggled, but the giggling didn't stop. He was in full blown laughter until tears rolled down his face. And then he was crying, ugly and all in front of a camera for Rin. It was one of his lower moments, he was hoping. 

"Hey, Baby, Sweetie," Rin had resorted to nicknames to get his attention again, but Ai could hardly focus. 

Everything was charts and names and overcomplicated formulas. Dates and English and unforgiving teachers who just didn't give him a break. 

"I'm here when you need me," Rin's voice was low and sounded so close. 

It only made Ai cry harder and louder. He missed Rin. He missed his hair, his smile, his smell. He missed the way he could easily get a team of teenage boys riled up about something as menial as running. He missed the way Rin would wake him up with a secret kiss, quick, with a promise of more. He missed the way Rin would tell him that he loved him and that everything would be okay. 

He missed Rin holding him, kissing him. He missed Rin's body as he laid down next to him. He missed Rin more than he thought. He thought he was doing just fine, and he was. But he could be doing so much better, emotionally, if he just had Rin near. Close enough to hug, close enough to touch. 

"I miss you," Ai sniffled. 

Rin touched the screen, the movement obvious but he tried to hide that he did so, "I miss you too. Ai, I can't wait until I can see you again." 

Ai finally stopped crying completely, "When will that be?" 

Rin smiled, "Christmas, hopefully. If not then for sure your graduation." 

Ai touched the screen. Pretending it was Rin's face he was actually touching and not the monitor between them. He moved the laptop to his bed and laid down, computer perched atop his chest. 

"I miss you so much," Ai knew he was repeating himself. He could hear the whine in his voice. 

Rin leaned back, looking more comfortable, "You've been working so hard, Ai. I'm so proud." 

"Don't be until I get my test results back."

"I will be even if they come back with a big fat zero!" Rin laughed, "It just means that you tried, and you did your best. I love you at your best." His voice had gotten quieter at the end of his little spiel. 

"I love you as you are," Ai's voice matched Rin's. It was timid at best. "If you choose to better yourself then I will love you just the same." 

Rin was silent for a long time. Ai had time to check his email, just to make background noise. Rin wasn't even making noise, so Ai assumed he had walked away. 

"I wish I was there so I could hug you," Rin finally said. 

"And give me a big kiss right on the lips!" Ai said. His door opened and Momo walked in. 

Rin didn't hear, "I'd kiss you all over!"

Momo froze and Ai thought for a second 'crap.' But when Momo burst out laughing and Rin started to blush high on his cheeks, Ai thought it was worth it. 

It was worth every stressful moment where he wanted to curl up in a ball. It was worth missing Rin, who was hard away training for his dream. It was worth the moment he was chatting with Rin being replaced by Momo who wanted to know every detail about their relationship. Ai knew it was worth it. 

He smiled as he listened to Momo and Rin talk. Rin encouraging him in a way Ai was still learning how to do. And Momo getting distracted by things he had yet to show his Rin-senpai (the word made Ai cringe a certain kind of way). 

While Momo dug through his drawers, Rin waved at Ai. Messaging him a quick goodbye with promise of a chat maybe within a week. Ai waved him away, catching the kiss Rin blew at him. When Momo turned back around the chat was over and he complained. 

But Ai laughed and emailed Rin about it the following day. He didn't forget to include his want for Rin to be closer. He typed everything up during his break, making sure to eat as he did so. This trial was long, but it would all be worth it. 

Yes, it would be worth Rin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaaaaaaahhhhhh. last 2 chapters. tell me how u want them. sad breakup? ok! lol jk! ummm probably cute stuff.
> 
> but Aiiiiiiii stop working so hard. chill out. amiright?


	49. Miss Me

Rin rushed through security with a bag stuffed full of his gifts to family and friends. He was so excited to be home, although it was only for two days. But home was home, even if it was for a short amount of time. 

Rin caught a taxi to visit his family first. Gladly accepting the warm hugs that he knew were coming from his mom and sister. He met with Sousuke next who he caught up with for more than he had expected to. He rushed from his house onto the next. Meeting with Nagisa and Rei, who were still hanging around Iwatobi even though they were to start school out of town soon. He talked to both of them handing over small trinkets he knew they would enjoy. Rin said his goodbyes and took the train over to an address he had memorized.

Ringing the doorbell, Rin shifted from foot to foot. The man that opened the door smiled at Rin and Rin was reminded of Ai's wide grins. Something he knew Ai took after, definitely.

"You are Aiichiro's friend, it's nice to meet you," Rin blushed at the older Nitori's forwardness. 

"I," Rin bowed, "hello, hi, I'm Rin Matsuoka." 

"Dad!" Ai's voice called from behind. He shoved his dad out of the way and burst out laughing at Rin's display. 

Rin grumbled beneath his breath and stood up straight.

"I got it, you go finish your movie," Ai smiled at his dad. Watching until he was fully out of the doorway, Ai pecked a kiss on Rin's lips. "I'm so excited!" He grabbed Rin's hand and pulled him inside. 

Rin was dragged around through various rooms all with a story behind them and honestly, Rin couldn't have been happier. Even after hours on a plane and hours visiting and talking with family and friends he was okay with this. Ai, in all his giddiness showing him around his childhood home telling funny stories about each room. He sighed in relief when they finally reached Ai's room, though. He trudged over to the bed and plopped down. Digging through his bag he pulled out his small gift to Ai. 

But after all the treats and gifts he had sent over the past few months, Ai wasn't surprised. He looked through the gifts and pushed them aside to look at Rin. 

Rin felt his face heat up, his heart thumping in his chest, something about being close to the one he loved made him feel uneasy. Ai leaned down to kiss him, pulling away once their lips met. 

Sitting straight up, Ai turned away. His ears were bright red, an obvious indication that he was blushing, "I missed you." 

Rin sat up and wrapped his arms around Ai, "I missed you too." He kissed Ai's ear. Nibbling on it softly until he heard a giggle from Ai. 

Soon they were rolling together on the bed in full blown laughter. Hugging and kissing, making up for the lost time from a year without each other. 

Rin never really feeling those butterflies in his stomach leaving, but not caring a bit as he kissed Ai.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> woooooop one more chapter ima try and write it tonight


	50. the end

Ai cheered from college dorm, his roommate and some of his friends cheering on as they watched the fuzzy computer screen of Rin's match. Ai would have to wait a few more hours to get a call from Rin to congratulate him on his win for his butterfly. He was getting closer to his dreams and goals, and so was Ai. 

He held a little get together to watch the competition with his friends. The ones who were totally okay when he happily declared that Rin was his boyfriend. Ai couldn't help but laugh to himself. He was on his way to his dreams too. 

Feeling a little tipsy he waved his friends goodbye at the end of the night. His roommate took off to a bigger party for the night and Ai promised to keep the door unlocked for him, telling him to be safe. And then Ai settled into bed. Surfing through the various articles about Rin Matsuoka who was one to look out for in the upcoming Olympics. Ai could not feel any more proud. 

He clicked around some more before going back to his notes to study. He couldn't waste a night without studying if he wanted to get any further. That didn't stop him from excitedly closing out of every powerpoint and note taking tool he had when skype rang and it was Rin's name that popped up. 

Quickly brushing his hair, Ai answered the video call. 

"Hey," The long, drawn out voice sounded tired. 

"My future gold medalist," Ai waved. 

"Ah! Don't jinx it," Rin laughed. He looked exhausted. Ai missed him. He had the urge to hold him close, spoil him with dinner and relaxing massages and more. 

Ai sighed thinking of all the things he missed doing with his boyfriend. 

"How was your day?" Rin asked. 

"Not as good as yours!" Ai laughed. Which had Rin telling him about the match, how he felt, everything he held back from the reporters. It was all so cute. 

"Oh, Ai, it felt so amazing. I wish you were there!" Rin looked directly at Ai and it felt as if he was right there with him. 

"I was," Ai whispered. Just low enough for Rin not to hear. "I love you," Ai said, louder, he was tearing up. 

"I love you more," Rin laughed, tired and high from his win. 

Years together and they could still say it to each other and it would give Ai butterflies. Years together and Ai was excited for the years to come. 

They talked some more before Rin had to go for the night. Ai blew him a kiss, thinking back to the kiss they shared in their dorm room many years ago. Thinking of how far they had come to this moment. More kisses were to come, more memories, more tears, more smiles. And Ai was excited for it all. 

Watching the way Rin pretended to catch the kiss in his hand and place it against his lips, Ai knew that he was happy for the choice he made. 

_Kiss number 1,034._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> whomp. Ai's been counting his kissies. virtual and face-to-face. 
> 
> thank youuuuuu!!!! I'm gonna write an awkward first time and probably some other oneshots but other then that i am done with the au. <3


End file.
